


Crown

by Susimau



Series: Ateez Tomb Raider AU [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alpha Kim Hongjoong, Alpha Park Seonghwa, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Archaeologists, Archaeologist!Seonghwa, Biker Seonghwa, Brat Hongjoong, Breeding Kink, Enemies to Lovers, Exhibitionism, Fighting Kink, Grave Robbers, Gun Violence, Hongjoong in a catsuit, Knotting, M/M, Mentioned Other K-pop Artist(s), Nemesis!Hongjoong, Seonghwa is Lara, Sex on a motorcycle, Size Kink, Smut, Tattoed Seonghwa, Tomb Raider AU, belly bulge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:01:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 26
Words: 57,147
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24694189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Susimau/pseuds/Susimau
Summary: Seonghwa Park had been called many things in his life; an Archaeological Wunderkind, a Treasure Hunter, or a Grave Robber. However, in all his years of work, there was only one person who would dare call him a Virgin Fledgling.Seonghwa was keen on showing Hongjoong Kim who was the better raider out of the two of them.
Relationships: Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: Ateez Tomb Raider AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2104440
Comments: 787
Kudos: 535





	1. Park Residence

_"We are here at Park Residence, home of the infamous Seonghwa Park! Today, too, we will try to gain some intel! For those who have not heard of this alpha, open your ears wide! At the age of nine, Seonghwa survived a plane crash in the Himalayan mountains that resulted in the death of his mother. After miraculously surviving a ten-day solo trek from the crash site to Katmandu, he spent the rest of his childhood under the close tutelage of his Archaeologist father - the late Earl of Abbingdon, William Park._

_At the age of eighteen, after the death of his father, Seonghwa inherited the Park estates and became Count of Abbingdon. Since then, he has been credited with the discovery of some sixteen archaeological sites of international significance._

_He has been hailed both as an Archaeological Wunderkind and a glorified Treasure Hunter, depending on whom you listen to. There are thousands of rumours surrounding Lord Park's exploits, invariably involving the unexplained or outright unbelievable. Lord Park himself is, unfortunately, never available for comment, which further adds to the veil of mystery that surrounds his life and work._

_Consequently, Lord Park continues to be the focus of wild speculations and intense debate. Idealised and vilified in equal measure, he is perhaps one of the most fascinating and enigmatic figures of our times._

_Today, too, we will knock on this very gate and see if he is up for an interview! Sponsors and fans all over the world, are interested in an interview, and we, the team of KQ news, are trying to be the first to get one! Stay tuned to see me ring this bell after a short break!"_

Groaning, Seonghwa dropped his head on his heavenly soft pillows. His fingers felt up the sheets next to his body for the remote, finally turning off the blaring TV. 

He gave himself a second to stare at the sheer white veil above his canopy bed; then he rolled out of his warm sheets.

He did not bother with slippers and instead went right to crossing the long corridor with his feet bare. The tight shorts he was donning showed off his long legs that were decorated beautifully with tattoos that he had spent precious hours on getting. He watched the sun dance over them playfully, and the shadows seeming to deepen their colours.

Stepping out into the spacious foyer, Seonghwa went right to stomping down the large T staircase.

"Yunho! There are reporters outside again! Send them off before I ask San to install flame throwers outside to keep unwanted guests at bay!" He authoritatively ordered the butler standing to his left at the fireplace. Without waiting for the man to hurry to comply, Seonghwa crossed the large hall over to the glass room San was sitting in. 

"Hey, Hwa." San did not look up from his multitude of computers as Seonghwa marched in and rounded his large rounded working area. He squeezed through the gap between all of the computer tables with their expensive setup and complicated mess of cables and adapters.

"Those bastards need to stop coming here. I've had enough of the exposure."

"You never had any exposure," San dryly replied while his fingers tapped away in his program still. Seonghwa ignored him and his weird codings to stand in front of the laptop, showcasing their security cameras at all times. The reporters had basically surrounded the whole entrance gate with hidden cameras to get a shot out of every angle should Seonghwa decide to appear. 

"How about you go out in all your domineering alpha-ness and growl at them for once? It will please your fans in special ways, and have those idiots run off with their tails between their legs."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes as he clicked through the cameras. San's comfy chair scraped over the ground as he pushed it over to peer down at it too. His fingers danced over the keyboard as he marked up all the alien camera signals in the area.

"Damn, you see that one there in the bushes? They are planning to get the perfect shot of that juicy ass." He hooked his fingers in the pant leg of Seonghwa's tight shorts, letting the material snap against his skin. Seonghwa pinched his shoulder for that.

"Send them off. If not flame throwers, I will put up water guns if they don't leave me alone," Seonghwa murmured annoyedly. He's had a migraine haunting his head for three days and zero to no patience to deal with curious paps.

"Will do, Sir. If we do put up water guns, we can test them right away as soon as Yeosang comes back."

They grinned at each other mischievously for a moment, then Seonghwa moved away again. He left the airconditioned glass cubicle before his eyes dried out. The blond technician still called after him again.

"Oh, by the way. I found your precious treasure. A part of it is in Bolivia. Bang set me up."

Seonghwa gave a salute without looking back.

"Send him a gift from me and tell Yunho to join me upstairs as soon as he's done. I'll start packing right away."

"Will do, Sir~" San stretched the word amusedly before the hacking of his fingers on his keyboard was heard again. Seonghwa left the fellow alpha to do his work and hurried up the stairs again. The soft red carpet felt smooth under his feet as he returned to his room and switched the TV back on to watch the happenings outside.

Yunho was there by now and tried to send the reporters off politely. They were not trespassing quite yet, that's why the manor had a gate and walls, after all. However, their presence alone annoyed Seonghwa. Even so far out on the outskirts of Oxford, they had no peace.

Damn reporters.

"Lord Park will give no interviews, and does also not plan to do so in the future. Please refrain from causing a disturbance."

"We can also interview you! Just give us a few insights on what it's like to work with him! Is he as charming as people say, or is that a font?" The woman stepped closer to Yunho with her team moving right up, cornering the poor beta. Seonghwa could see his eyes go wide, and his hands were coming up defensively. A blush became apparent in his ears.

Ticked off, Seonghwa tapped at the earpiece he was wearing.

"San, link me up with the speakers. She's using pheromones on him."

San answered right away, their link always open. It was a large house, after all.

"His blush is so adorable. You're up, speak away."

Seonghwa stared at the TV, at the way Yunho was trying to find his way out of the situation without appearing incredibly rude. When he spoke, he purposefully lowered his voice to make his threat apparent.

"I advise you strongly to leave my driveway right now. You might not be trespassing, but you are clearly making my friend uncomfortable right now. Please refrain from doing so and come back with a more interesting offer," he growled into his mic. San gave instant applause, and Yunho looked relieved when he heard his voice over the speakers.

The woman seemed alerted, searching for whatever camera that was close to her. San wordlessly linked it up to Seonghwa's TV so he could see the woman clearly.

"Why won't you come out, Lord Park? A question or two will not damage your reputation."

Seonghwa smirked, privately in his room, while he stared at her challenging eyes. 

"I prefer to surround myself not with manipulative omegas, but people of class. Now, if you would, please leave before I ask the police to take you away for sexual harassment." He said it sugary sweetly but not without making sure his threat came across. He didn't like seeing reporters out there, but he liked it even less if they tried to trick their ways in. 

The woman let her microphone sink to her side, but she did not take her eyes off the camera lens. Seonghwa curiously cocked his brow.

"It would not be harassment if you cared to reciprocate. Come on out to play, Park. I might also receive you as an omega woman instead of a reporter."

Seonghwa barked a laugh that echoed from San downstairs too. He cut the connection right away when the cameraman grabbed the woman's arm in a panic.

"What are you doing, Sam?! This might get you fired; we are still live!"

"So what, then I will get fired! If I get the mighty Seonghwa Park to entertain me instead, then so be it!"

Seonghwa chuckled as he turned to get his luggage ready.

"San, have Yunho give her a bottle of champagne and the business card of the Oxford Times. She will need a new job."

San giggled gleefully.

"You don't want to play with her?"

"As if. You go collect her later if you want. I know you have the hots for defiant omegas."

"Not everybody can be into Agonophilia, Hwa."

"Oh, shut up."

They laughed with each other again, before San went back to work. Shortly after, the news live cut off, and the cameras showed Yunho coming back inside.

It took him about two minutes to be in Seonghwa's room.

Seonghwa grimaced apologetically at his friend and received a reassuring smile in return.

"I don't think she was after me. Guess she wanted to let her scent rub off on me to get you going." Yunho set down the glass and the peach juice he had brought to pour Seonghwa a glass. His big hands were steady around the cup as he reached over to hand it to Seonghwa.

"I can scent you later if you want. Make sure there's nothing left of her smell on you," Seonghwa offered after his first sip, and Yunho nodded quickly. 

"Yes, please. I'm gonna miss your scent while you're gone. Where did San say it was?" He rose to start putting clothes and other necessities in Seonghwa's luggage. His climbing gear took up the most space.

"Bolivia. Yeosang will love it." Seonghwa leaned back on his hand as he watched his friend hurry around to pack everything. He was used to it. Seonghwa was sure he could leave in a few hours already. San would have a plane ticket ready.

"Bolivia? You gonna take your bike?"

"Nah, not for this one. Too many mountains. Just pack me some light clothes."

Yunho dropped his bulletproof west in.

"What's there to see in Bolivia?"

"Pre-Incan ruins. San said there might be a piece of my treasure there," Seonghwa took another sip while he watched the tall blonde man hurry around and throw things at his black suitcase seemingly randomly. 

"That would be great. Make sure to come back in one piece. Who else is gonna shoo off the reporters with you gone?" 

Seonghwa chuckled at the man's hidden care. He was glad that Yunho had become such a good friend. It had taken him years to slip out of the role of a butler, but by now, he was Seonghwa's closest friend. He would miss the man's playful energy.

"The flame throwers I asked San to install. Maybe tell Yeosang to come in through the backdoor as soon as he comes back."

"He's going to hate you if you do so much as dare to light up the tips of his hair." Yunho reached for the particular case for Seonghwa's shotgun, carefully preparing all the pieces and ammunition. He zipped it up after and leaned it next to the suitcase against the wall.

"It's not the worst he lived through ever since he became part of my pack. Tell him I said hi."

"I will. San ordered a new PDA for you. I'm gonna put it in your backpack." Yunho waved the sleek silver thing around before zipping it up.

"Cool, thanks. Let me finish up here and get the car ready, hm? Thanks for your help."

Yunho nodded cheerfully and skipped out of the room. Seonghwa listened to his long steps retreating before he crawled over to his suitcase quickly. With a huff, he threw the climbing gear out. 

Who was he, a child? Yunho needed to stop treating him like one already.

Seonghwa zipped up his suitcase and quickly changed into a comfortable airport fashion. With his suitcase in one hand and the shotgun case in the other, he went back out.

San looked up to grin at him while Seonghwa was carrying his stuff down the stairs.

"Have fun in Bolivia. You're lucky; the next week is going to be sunny, but not too hot. Not that I wouldn't wish for you to have your hot moments anyways," he called out teasingly, and Seonghwa motioned shooting him down with his fingers.

"Thanks. Make sure Yeosang isn't there if you feel the need to jerk off to me again." Seonghwa smirked back just as crudely before leaving to the sound of San's laughter.

The driveway was devoid of any reporters when they left ten minutes after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, and welcome back!
> 
> This follows the setting (not the storyline) of the game Tomb Raider: Legend. You don't need to know the game to read this. If anything comes up as a question, ask me! The whole omegaverse (the alpha, beta, omega thing) is a sub detail that also doesn't need too many details, but again, if this is your first story dealing with it, ask away ^^
> 
> Have fun reading!


	2. Tiwanaku

"Why do I have a sinking feeling that you've forgotten your climbing gear on purpose?"

Seonghwa giggled, digging his fingers deeper into the earth covering the steep cliff he was dangerously hanging on. His feet immediately found footing again as he carefully moved to the right.

"How did you know? You don't get it, Sannie. This is like going up a set of stairs, only far less boring. Why would you need to use a gear for climbing the stairs?" Seonghwa turned to look out over the ocean of clouds beneath him. The ground was way too far to see still, and the white fluff underneath was reaching into an unknown distance.

"I prefer the good ol' house stairs. Also, stop looking down, I'm getting queasy," San murmured with an exaggerated gagging sound. Seonghwa smiled to himself before angling his head back up. The camera on his comm followed, easing the picture San received. Seonghwa could hear him murmur a quiet thanks.

Seonghwa reached out again with his gloved fingers, grabbing onto another edge while taking care where he stepped. His heavy boots found secure footing on the steep wall, but the stone above didn't support his weight.

Seonghwa felt it get loose before abruptly breaking off. He reacted quickly, and twisted his body away, letting go with his left hand. The rock tumbled down right where his torso had been a moment ago. Remembering San, Seonghwa didn't watch it fall into the depths before reaching for another edge again.

San made a little unsure noise.

"You worry too much.", Seonghwa commented dryly before he put all of his strength in his feet, and jumped off. His fingers reached for the edge above, grabbing onto it safely. He balanced his weight and made sure nothing would break away this time. He could see what had his friend worried so much, but at the same time, the rush and adrenaline of the situation were too intense for him to take his gear with him. Where was the fun with that?

"Oh, hey, Yeosang is back. Yeo, grab a headset. Let's watch Hwa die together," San murmured through Seonghwa's headset, and a rustling sound was heard as he set up the new connection for Yeosang, who was just sitting down.

"Back so early? How was your trip to Venice? Rain?" Seonghwa turned to watch at the platform underneath. With a bit of effort, he would manage to grab onto the outmost rocks.

"Yeah, rain. We decided on Rome last minute. I came back early when San told me about your newest bad idea," Yeosang's deep and rich voice replied smoothly. Seonghwa had to chuckle.

"Sweet."

"So what are you doing in Bolivia?"

Seonghwa smiled to himself before he let go altogether. San audibly gritted his teeth to hold his protests back when Seonghwa flew down into the endless sea of white. Yeosang gave a little distressed whine.

Seonghwa dropped a few meters down before grabbing onto the edge he had correctly calculated. His shoulder protested as a sharp jerk travelled through it, then he used the other hand to reach for it too. Safely, he hung on the cliff without anything beneath his feet.

"Ascending."

With that, Seonghwa pulled himself up to elegantly swing onto the platform. He looked out over the labyrinth of boulders and walls that led further over the mountain he was standing on.

"Yeosang, meet Tiwanaku. A lovely pre-Incan civilisation that's currently in ruins."

Yeosang barely managed to speak from the shock. Instead of a full reply, he just choked out a quick 'Delighted' before falling silent again.

Seonghwa chuckled at him before dusting his gloves off and looking around. He would need to scale the rocks to his right to get further behind. Right in front of him, there was also a streaming waterfall decorating the stone. From the looks of it, it was leading to a little lake on this level.

With nimble fingers, Seonghwa pried open the little backpack he carried with him. He took out his binoculars to get a better view of the things. He quickly swiped the area and found a spot that seemed to lead further behind the enormous obstacles quite well. Satisfied, he made sure to memorise it from this angle.

After putting the object away, he munched down an energising chocolate bar. He ate while staring out over the beauty that Bolivia's clouds were, and once again appreciated his job.

For a wealthy archaeologist like him, it was easy to get such sights. As he was working on his own currently instead of with his team at university, so he also wasn't bound to stupid rules such as climbing gear.

"I got bad news."

Seonghwa finished his snack and turned to walk over to the route he had spied out earlier. He jumped up the first part and balanced on a rounded boulder as his heavy boots made his way over. After another step, he looked around.

"Is it related to you feeling queasy?"

"You got unwanted visitors. I can pick up some pretty strong signals from further west." San seemed to hack away at his computer again and then gave a contemplating hum.

"See those? It's a cluster. Seems like you chose a bad day to search for this."

Yeosang gave an approving noise as if they couldn't trust San's eyes alone.

Seonghwa huffed annoyed, jumping over to another stone. He caught himself with his hands before pushing back the hair that had started to stick to his forehead. By now, Bolivia's heat began to catch up on him in his long clothes.

He should have insisted on wearing shorts instead. Not as if his legs weren't covered in scars anyway.

"I'll send them off, " Seonghwa promised with a shrug and then leapt. The two boys fell silent.

Seonghwa made his way over the rocks and further to another steep stone wall. With the aid of a few large roots and branches sticking out of the ground, he managed to pull himself up. However, he froze, when suddenly he heard steps above. Startled, he pressed himself close to the earth and listened in to their conversation.

"No, I can't see anybody I could shoot on sight. Maybe your information was wrong? Ask him again. I don't want to stand around the whole day. I've heard some howling earlier, I don't need to find out whatever that was. I was so happy hearing I get to put someone down today, and now there's just nobody here. What a disappointment. He owes me one."

Seonghwa arched his brow. San thankfully supplied him with information before he even had to ask.

"Those sound like mercenaries. I think you-know-who hired them to make sure you're not getting in his way this time around."

Oh, hell, no.

Seonghwa could not reply without alerting the stranger of his presence, so instead, he jumped up with a cold determination. Without asking further questions, he pulled his heavy shotgun from his back and pointed it at the guy.

The other reeked of alpha, his heady and suppressing scent clouding the whole platform they were standing on. Seonghwa wrinkled his nose at the man when even he felt his head go woozy with the smell.

"Hey, bastard. Who are you waiting for?" He called out warningly, and the man turned around to him with nearly too much enthusiasm. Seonghwa found his assault rifle pointed right at his head as a greeting. 

"You, as it seems. I came to make sure you don't proceed."

"Put him down." It was Yeosang's voice, cold and calculating. With a chuckle, Seonghwa pointed his weapon right at the man's head too, returning the favour.

"Who sent you?"

"None of your business, Park." The man curled his finger around the trigger, but Seonghwa was quicker. A single shot sounded before the man's head exploded in a red cloud of blood and brains. It splattered all over the walls and ground, gaining the attention of some birds lazily circling above them.

"San, find out what that brat wants here. This is _my_ piece of the key, what does _he_ want?"

Seonghwa peeled his hands off the weapon he was gripping much harder than needed. Anger was simmering low in his stomach at the thought of that pain in the backside of a man. Fuming, he threw the weapon on his back and stepped over the remains of the man. 

"I'm afraid he kinda searches for the same thing. He's faster than you. That fucker used his chopper like some sophisticated asshole."

Seonghwa aggressively jumped up another edge and put down two more soldiers, who were standing guard there.

"What is he wearing?"

Seonghwa could basically feel San exchanging a tense glance with Yeosang.

"I haven't seen him yet, but... Probably nothing too harmless. You might want to hurry."

With another leap, Seonghwa scaled the last part of the mountain. He kneeled right down when he took notice of the ruins underneath. He got an excellent view over the valley holding them and the entrance to the ancient city in the mountain.

Seonghwa was in awe.

"Isn't she beautiful? I'm falling in love all over again," he murmured distractedly while getting his binoculars out again to get a closer look. San's low chuckle sounded against his left ear.

"You say kinda that to all the ruins. It's getting old. Aren't you committing adultery?"

Seonghwa again looked around, noticing the chopper in the distance and a jeep that just came down the road from another way up the mountains. A more comfortable one, as it seemed, but also more boring.

"I call it having a lot of love to give. And here come the bloody tourists to spoil it all." He zoomed in onto the jeep, seeing more of the same guys in black uniforms and helmets emerge.

"Your cam doesn't pick up detail that small. What do you see? Is it trouble?" San carefully asked as Seonghwa clicked his tongue at the sight of them spreading out like ants.

"Men with guns. More Mercenaries, by the look of them. Probably also his men."

Yeosang quipped up curiously.

"What're they doing there?" 

Seonghwa put the binoculars away. He stood up again and pulled the gun over his shoulder. With it pointing at his nearest enemy, he started jogging down the hill until he was in reach.

"Getting into trouble."

He fired the first shot, taking a man down and alerting the others of his presence. Yelling orders at each other, they moved to confront Seonghwa head-on. He opened fire, his fingers restlessly working on his weapon. He could feel a bullet slide off his hip, where his vest was protecting him as if Yunho had known he would run into those guys here.

Seonghwa told San to deliver his thanks to his dear butler as he ran over the field hunting those betas down. He got all five of them before turning to the last two who were positioned at the entrance to the ruins. Seonghwa carefully sneaked up the stairs with his weapon poised and ready to kill. A shot buzzed past his ear when one of the guys prematurely shot, but both of them turned tail when Seonghwa lifted his weapon at them.

Seonghwa waited, hearing them run off. Then, a grinding noise, as if of stone sliding over stone was heard. A single scream followed that cut off abruptly. Seonghwa silently put the weapon away.

"Oof. That sounded permanent," San commented with a sneer apparent in his voice. Seonghwa shook his head, looking out over the once sacred field that was now stained with ugly red pools, and corpses. The chopper was long gone and the jeep stood forgotten.

"Death by irony is always painful. Amateurs. Is Yeosang still there?"

"Nope, left when the bloodbath started. I think he's kinda sensitive these days. His heat is coming up."

"Right, I've been feeling itchy, too. Killing a few of those violators might actually lift my mood a bit. I'll try to get this done quickly and maybe also leave the body of a certain someone behind." Seonghwa stepped into the ruins determinedly and let his fingers glide over the old and dusty walls as he searched the long corridor for traps.

"Yunho and I are still here too. I know you like to keep forgetting this, but I can fuck his fever out of him just as well as you can."

"Yet, you are not the pack alpha. Just keep him busy for a few days. I'll make sure to finish soon."

"Yeah, yeah. You just concentrate on finding whatever killed those two men I see no trace of before you don't even get a chance at our sweet Yeosangie anymore."

Seonghwa would be elated if he found the body of his favourite Nemesis speared on some deathly spear trap down here. He might work with that.


	3. Him, who shall not be named

Seonghwa allowed himself to stand back for a second as he normalised his breathing again. He'd had some troubles crossing the ruins, but nothing too dramatic for now. There had been some deathly traps that seemed to be keen on ending his life before he ventured in further. He had to dodge those with dangerous climbing tricks across the walls. Seonghwa had seen some weird ceremonial looking altars, and a lot of bones, but so far, nothing that pointed him at what he was searching for. It seemed futile. The city was huge; it spread seemingly endless through massive parts of the mountains. Seonghwa would spend days exploring, and he was not equipped for such an extended stay.

While he was sitting in some corner and munching down his lunch, he discussed the matter with his friends back in England.

"It was not at their burial site. And also not in the ceremony room." Seonghwa shuddered at the reminder of that room, of rusty knives and wooden apparatuses that had been blackened by blood with time. "Do you think it might have disappeared somewhere? I've read nothing about it anywhere; they might have thought it's not important?"

Seonghwa would need more time if he had to search the whole damn mountain. The time he did not have with a needy omega at home, and men, who wanted to shoot him waiting around every corner.

His knees were bleeding where he had scraped them earlier, and the elbow of his camouflage uniform was ripped too. His vest made his shirt stick to his skin uncomfortably tightly. He wanted to rip it off his body already, but if he did that, three people would scream his ear off.

"Maybe you could try finding the living quarters of their important people — a king maybe, or a shaman. I'd say if anybody gets to keep weird things nobody has ever seen before, it might be those people," Yeosang supplied helpfully, albeit a tad breathless. He had been back for a while now, and his earlier tension was now eased. San had allowed him to sit down on his cock to keep him nice and warm while Yeosang was working on his documents on the side.

"I could try. This down here looks like the quarters of the lower class. I might need to search further." With a sigh, Seonghwa put the empty box back into his bag and rose to his feet to dust his pants off.

"Where is that little scoundrel anyway? I haven't seen him yet." Which he was glad about. He did not need to see his smug smirk when his men had already ruined Seonghwa's day anyway.

"His chopper is parked in a cave further north. He's been hanging around for a while now; I think he might be waiting for you."

Seonghwa groaned as he again spied out his route. It led him further South, further away from his Nemesis.

He hesitated.

"Do you think he might have found it?"

There could be two reasons why that brat could be waiting for him. Either, he wanted to show off and disappear with Seonghwa's artefact, or he wanted to talk. Usually, their talks ended in gunfire, though, so Seonghwa saw little use in those.

"I have no idea. But the fact that he managed to get the right time again kinda creeps me out. Ah- Yeo- don't move." San gave a choked groan that got echoed by Yeosang. Seonghwa rolled his eyes, smirking. He could not wait to be home again and play with Yeosang in the sheets while he forgot everything about his arch-enemy.

"Send me his coordinates, I'm checking it out."

"Checking him out, hm? I kinda get it, he's undeniably hot." San began tapping away at his keyboard again, their little slip-up forgotten. However, Seonghwa believed to hear the slick sound of Yeosang moving on him anyway. He willed the heat that gathered in his own body unprompted away and tried to concentrate on his duty.

"There, your PDA has it. Make sure to ask him for his number this time, so your next date doesn't have to involve so many corpses," he didn't stop his teasing. Seonghwa jumped down from the boulder he had been resting on and started searching his way through the labyrinth of corridors.

"I swear to God, San, I'd make you choke on my knot if I was there right now. Yeosang, be a good boy and shut him up for me. Make sure you turn your mic off, though. As much as I'd love to hear you two fuck, I kinda need to concentrate on the enemy and his guns."

"Make sure your eyes don't stray too far, Hwahwa. I kinda suspect you of being interested in what else he has to offer apart from his guns-"

Seonghwa threateningly reached up to turn the device off, but San shut right up with a last giggle. Finally, silence surrounded Seonghwa.

With a benevolent eye-roll at the mess his two friends were, he wandered off, further down the trap-studded halls.

Seonghwa flipped and jumped over them for another half an hour until he reached the corner his PDA was pointing him to. A sudden light was flooding in from the left, it was obviously an exit of some sorts.

Seonghwa took his weapon in his hands again, not entirely rounding the corner yet. First, he wanted to take a look.

Carefully, he peeked around the corner and into the hidden part of the city.

It was the perfect spot to trap someone in. It was another one of their ceremonial sites, but the location was different from the dark chambers filled with bones and rats Seonghwa had seen so far.

It was a platform on top of a massive stone that seemed to grow out of nothingness. Indeed, Seonghwa could hear water in the distance, so he suspected it to be a plateau surrounded by the streams within the mountains. The crater was open here, similar to a volcano and there were birds idly patrolling the skies. A single pendant bridge led over to the platform, and all around it was a big cleft before the tall walls of the mountain rose into the sky all around.

The location was obviously human-made. The walls were decorated with their symbols and decorative art. They had also built canals in the earth for water to flow freely from four symmetrical waterfalls from above. It rushed down into the canyon loudly and strong enough to kill a person.

Seonghwa had lost his tongue at the sight, drinking it all up full of amazement.

This was pre-Incan. Far before the ancient settlers had built their pyramids and holy temples. Seonghwa could only marvel at the creative minds those people had had many thousand years ago.

He wanted to study it forever. He wanted to take pictures and decrypt all of their magnificent symbols and letters. He could spend years here, but there was something terribly out of the picture.

It was the chopper standing on the platform — a sleek black thing with open doors and calmly rotating blades that seemed to wait for somebody.

And there, right on the altar and in the sun, there laid a man on his stomach. He was idly kicking his legs while his fingers were playing with some object. His red hair shimmered in the light like fresh blood.

Seonghwa felt his stomach drop and clench at the same time at the sight of the guy.

San had been right.

Seonghwa quickly scanned the area, again becoming distracted. There was the raised altar that the man was lounging on and clearly desecrating. Around it remained several broken and fallen statues, obelisks and arches that were once looming over the scene like powerful gods. Seonghwa could picture it clearly, the importance of this place to the people, their pride.

The water must have been as high as the platform once, before making its way down and smoothing out the stone with time. This place was nothing short of breathtaking, and this brat was lazing around in the middle of it as if he owned it.

Seonghwa wanted to shoot his damn head off already.

However, he stayed patient. After a quick scope, he found nobody else apart from the redhair and the man in the helicopter. No need to shoot just yet.

Grumbling, he put his weapon down and stepped out of his hiding place.

The redhair picked right up on him, as Seonghwa started to cross the dangerously swaying bridge. With his interest piqued, he sat up and protected his eyes with one of his hands as he watched Seonghwa come closer.

"Park, fancy meeting you here! Is this fate?" He swung his long and build legs over the edge of the altar to turn to Seonghwa fully.

By now, the alpha could detect the smirk on the man's pointy features, but more important was what he was wearing at the moment.

Seonghwa faltered in his steps when the redhair stood.

It was a fucking catsuit.

Gulping, Seonghwa let his eyes travel down the man's form. His chest stood out most to Seonghwa's eyes, looking full and rounded in the tight black latex. The lines of his abs were clearly visible too, just like the jut of his hipbones. There was also another far more private shape Seonghwa could detect far too well, and that he would pretend he did not stare at for nearly thirty seconds.

"I see you've coloured your hair!" Seonghwa tried to save the last bits of his dignity by pretending he didn't look.

He reached the end of the bridge in the next moment, while the other man had started stepping down the steps leading up to the altar with his heavy boots himself. Seonghwa took notice of the two pistols he wore strapped around his muscular thighs - another fact he didn't have to see this clearly.

Tense, he gripped his shotgun tight.

They met at the bottom of the stairs. Seonghwa stood on the ground, and the other man on the first step, becoming a few centimetres taller than the alpha by default.

"Do you like it?" The man angled his head with an amused smile, looking far too young and attractive for Seonghwa's tastes. He played dumb.

"You look like my bike."

Another languid smirk that showed off his many perfectly straight teeth. His grin seemed roguish, like that of a swindling pirate. Seonghwa despised the charming expression it put on his handsome face.

"Maybe I want you to ride me too?"

Seonghwa finally reacted and pushed the muzzle of his weapon right against the man's throat. He could feel himself getting irritated, his scent spiking to alert possible predators of his will to fight.

Predators like this man right here.

"Hongjoong Kim," he growled threateningly as he reached out with his second hand to grab at the little satchel the man wore on his weapon belt. He had to wrap his arm around the waist of the man to reach for it, counting four grenades slipping under his fingers. By now, he was confident that the other man had stolen his artefact right away from his eyes.

Hongjoong gave a smug grin at the weird embrace Seonghwa invited him in.

"Seonghwa Park." He breathed auspiciously. He had the audacity to chuckle at the way Seonghwa jolted from having him whisper against his ear like that. He roughly grabbed onto Hongjoong's belt when the man tried to twist away.

"Don't move. You wouldn't want your brains to decorate those ruins."

"You can't shoot that gun with only one hand," Hongjoong rebuked him while leaning further into Seonghwa's body. Seonghwa grew irritated with him and the lack of smell on his body, but he was also too prideful to twist away from the man's proximity.

Hongjoong continued. "I, however, can." With that, he gently pressed his own gun against Seonghwa's side, making him freeze.

He was right.

Seonghwa's fingers waited, poised, on his decision. Every muscle in his body was tense, even as Hongjoong just snuggled a bit more into his arms. He was acting like they were friends.

They were enemies for God's sake; what was he doing?!

"I wanted to tell you personally I'm taking this with me. See you in Peru." With that, he gently patted the satchel before taking a step back. With his gun still pointed at Seonghwa, he jogged over to his chopper while Seonghwa could only stand, and stupidly stare at the sway of his hips in that suit.

He didn't even want to shoot, just glaring at Hongjoong and his stupidly pretty face.

"Don't drool, it's embarrassing." With another smirk and a salute, Hongjoong stepped into his chopper which lifted right off the ground immediately.

Seonghwa snapped back when he felt the sudden gush of wind hit him. Swiftly, he pointed his weapon at the helicopter, right at Hongjoong, who was still grinning down on him where he was standing.

His shot uselessly hit the bottom of the thing as the pilot pulled it around and up.

Seonghwa could only curse his own stupidity as they took off with his fragment.


	4. Preparations for Peru

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some mild smut starting around the middle of the chapter

Seonghwa and Hongjoong had met the first time in Peru too.

Seonghwa had been sixteen at the time. Sixteen, on one of his first solo trips without his father, and with stars in his eyes, as he explored the world. He'd had so much fun digging around with his team. He remembered the excitement of finally finding the hidden ruins, of discovering a mostly intact building beneath the earth.

However, their entrance was not the only one.

When they climbed down into the dusty tomb to search for the legendary treasure of the Queen of Tiwanaku, they found it snatched away by somebody else. Some nameless, scrawny kid with black hair at the time.

He ran off with it, and Seonghwa accepted the disappointment with time, but he never quite forgot. Especially since he and Hongjoong Kim kept seeing each other.

In one out of three cases, the kid was there, so they met far too often over the past six years. Seonghwa was sick of him. Seeing what he had become irked Seonghwa to no end.

The man had grown infamous from his job, and yet, Seonghwa didn't even know his gender.

"He has to be an Omega, or not? How did nobody ever smell him?" San was arching his brow at the extreme lack of information he had found on the web. Clearly dissatisfied, he searched again, still coming up with nothing.

"If he is so adamant of not telling and blocking his scent too, he must be. Do you think he received criticism?" San worriedly bit his lip, while Seonghwa rolled his eyes.

"So what? He's still an enemy, you know? It's also your check that doesn't get written if he keeps doing that."

San swivelled around in his chair to stare at Seonghwa judgingly. Seonghwa was wearing just some shorts and a shirt he had haphazardly thrown over his body after Yeosang had finally let go of him. He probably reeked of sex and the omega all over, but of course, San didn't mind. He rather seemed to nuzzle against Seonghwa's hip more often than usual today.

"Yet, your camera picked up on a few interesting sights. I keep telling you just to fuck it out. He might leave you alone after that," San repeated the one counsel he had been given over the years they had known each other. Despite being a pack member, San was thankfully not jealous of the attention Seonghwa gave to Hongjoong. He didn't want to admit it, but usually, the fellow grave robber was always somewhere in Seonghwa's thoughts. Sometimes in inappropriate positions.

"Shut up. I already told you I won't." Seonghwa crossed his arms as he stared at San challenging. Neither of them backed out, and Seonghwa could basically feel the air crackle with electric tension between the two of them.

In the end, San gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Fine. Then don't. Just spare a quick thought about my words when you do find yourself buried to the hilt in him in the near future."

San waggled his eyebrows at him dirtily. Scandalized, Seonghwa pushed himself off the table he was leaning against with a huff.

"That won't be necessary. Anyways, I will return to Yeosang now and relieve poor Yunho of his duties. Care to help?"

The mood shifted with the change of topic. San dipped his head back against his headrest and made eye-contact with Seonghwa finally. His fox-shaped eyes scrutinised him sharply.

"You're irritated these days. He hasn't triggered your rut yet? You smell like it." He drew his brows together inquisitively as if he could find a reason for the secrets of biology if he stared at Seonghwa's face for long enough.

"If I'm snappy, I'm sorry. I feel it itching, but somehow it just won't sort out itself this time. I might need to see the doctor before I leave for Peru."

San swivelled around in his chair to stand up right into Seonghwa's personal space. Their chests brushed against each other as San reached up to wrap a lock of Seonghwa's hair around his finger. Coquettishely, he leaned against Seonghwa's body while he was playing with his hair. Seonghwa settled one of his hands on the small of San's back, feeling up his tiny waist.

"You got an omega as gorgeous as Yeosang dropping to his knees for you at your convenience, yet you still don't react to him? Sounds like a case for the doctor indeed," he murmured against Seonghwa's neck. He could comfortably lean in to rub his scent all over the fellow alpha, calming him a little with his sweet smell of freshly mowed grass. Out of his pack, San had always smelled the best, so Seonghwa received him willingly. San's nose brushed over his scent glands, and Seonghwa gently pulled him in closer at his hip to ease his access.

"It might just be me being annoyed by Kim. If Yeosang asks, please tell him it's not his fault."

San moved to press a gentle kiss against Seonghwa's chin, mindful not to get his teeth anywhere near the older man's neck.

"I think he knows. Don't worry about us. Yongguk awaits you in Peru in two days. Tell him I said hi, he still owes me ice cream."

"I'll have Yunho prepare while we make sure Yeosang is alright." Seonghwa leaned his head against San's in a brotherly gesture before he let go and stepped away from him. San followed right up as he left the room, jumping up the stairs to get back to Yeosang.

Despite his rut not having started quite yet, his stamina and drive were still healthy. He could outlast Yunho anytime. His omega in heat not so much, but that was why he had San there with him, after all.

Seonghwa crossed the corridor leading to Yeosang's room with long steps. The thick smell of his arousal was wafting through the entire house, but it grew even headier the closer they got. Seonghwa could feel his body respond with possessiveness, his own scent mingling with Yeosang's and spreading out to ensure the needy omega that his alpha was near.

San held back as good as possible, not wanting to accidentally threaten their pack alpha with his own scent. However, he had his hand down his pants, stroking his hardness before they even arrived in the room.

The door was barely open when they were hit by Yeosang's smell like a brick wall right to their faces. Seonghwa's body throbbed with sudden need, all of his blood starting to travel downward. San swiftly bolted through the room and right up the stairs leading to Yeosang's bedroom, from where his and Yunho's combined moans were coming. Their sweet omega sounded desperate, and his high-pitched whines drowned down even Yunho's low groans.

Seonghwa hurried up too. Today, he had no patience to stand and look through Yeosang's extensive collection of books of all kinds he had up here. Usually, he would get lost here for a few hours and search for whatever distracted his mood. This time, he rushed just past the tall shelves as Yeosang gave a little happy squeal upstairs, announcing San's arrival.

Seonghwa took two steps at once as he jumped up the stairs to join them inside the room. San was already naked by the time he got there, having stripped faster than lightning. On his way over, Seonghwa already threw his shirt off too. He was impatient by now, needing to please to settle his raging alpha.

Yeosang turned his sweaty and flushed face to him when he noticed his pheromones permeating the air, a breathless smile appearing on his face.

The next moment, San was already above him, covering his neck in bite marks and roughly created hickeys. Yeosang was still lying on Yunho's chest and filled to the brim with the other man, but San was unstoppable. He slipped right over him, making the man arch into his touch prettily.

Seonghwa decided to push all thoughts of certain mysterious grave robbers out of his mind as he joined them. For now, they had to help Yeosang.

-

"How are you?"

Yeosang gave a low hum, his voice still sounding wrecked from the constant abuse he had submitted his throat to. Seonghwa cautiously wrapped a warm hand around his throat to gently massage his sore neck with slender fingers. At the prompt, Yeosang let his head fall back against Seonghwa's shoulder, so he had better access. Seonghwa gently rested their heads together.

"Good. I think the worst three days are over. If I feel like dying again, I'll ask Sannie." He lifted one of his hands out of the water surrounding them to smooth it down Seonghwa's tattoed thigh. Idly, he traced the flowers climbing up Seonghwa's whole leg with his fingers.

"How do you feel? Does it hurt?" Yeosang shifted on him, gaining a warning growl from Seonghwa's lips. His knot was still locking their bodies together snugly, and every move from Yeosang made it pull on his softened rim. It had not deflated enough to let him pull off just yet.

"Kinda still weird. If it becomes an issue in Peru, I will come right back home. I hope you are not too disappointed, either. I'd have been more helpful if it worked as it's supposed to." What use was it if their cycles fit each other if his didn't trigger when it was supposed to? How was he supposed to satisfy his needy omega then?

"It's alright. You're under a lot of stress. We know this artefact is important to you. Of course, him stealing it away is making you restless. You might be our pack alpha, but you don't have to please everybody here, Hwa. You are allowed to have us help you sometimes too." Yeosang snuggled up into Seonghwa's chest while he used his free hand to gently intertwine his fingers with Seonghwa's.

Seonghwa appreciated the devotion. His friends kept having to remind him every time his anxiety grew too much for him to bear. He felt helpless whenever he noticed himself losing his skills to care for them. As soon as it became too much, he imagined failing his role as part of this family.

"You're too precious, Yeosangie. Thank you very much." Seonghwa pressed a gentle kiss on the man's nape, right where his pack bites collected on the junction of his neck to his shoulder. Yeosang shuddered in his arms, slightly ticklish. A tiny giggle escaped him that made a smile grow on Seonghwa's face too.

"You're welcome, Hwa. We won't be mad even if you come home all agitated and tense. We're kinda there for that."

Seonghwa carefully disentangled his fingers from Yeosang's body to wrap both of his arms around the man's waist tightly. Yeosang's sweet giggled died down to a surprised noise when Seonghwa applied just a bit too much pressure and pushed the other man's body down on his length further.

Yeosang's fingers scrambled to hold himself up on Seonghwa's thighs when he slipped in deeper, brushing against the man's sensitive walls. It was too much for him at the moment, his body twisting away from the delicious touches.

"Hwa-"

Seonghwa kissed him again, watching shivers run down his spine. His tattoed skin looked beautiful against Yeosang's soft and milky body. The omega was built with lean muscle, but they weren't as apparent as Seonghwa's when he stretched prettily in Seonghwa's grip.

"I won't start anything again. I don't think your tiny body can hold any more come."

Yeosang laughed deeply as he let himself be embraced.

"Will you save that for Kim? I watched the videos you cam picked up with San. I kinda get it. I'd want to make him whimper too."

Grumbling, Seonghwa buried his face in Yeosang's neck.

"Why are all of my friends like this? I literally want him gone, no hidden thirst included," he lied pitifully as he reached up to wash Yeosang's hair for him. He sulked a bit to himself, wanting to deny his reactions to the undeniably attractive male just a bit longer.

"We may not have met him personally, but we got eyes, too. Also, he was clearly inviting you to. There is nothing wrong with taking a beautiful doll like him in some dark grave, you know? I know you would like that." Yeosang gently poked Seonghwa's tattoo again as he giggled.

Seonghwa just pouted.


	5. Old Memories

The moment Seonghwa stepped onto the dusty roads of the tiny town he was meeting their friend in, the shutters of a window loudly shut. Nonplussed, he lifted his eyebrow into an unspecific direction.

"Seems like they aren't too fond of visitors. It might be the shotgun," San commented dryly while he just stopped yawning. Yeosang had nearly finished his cycle by now, but even in his last two days, he kept wearing their poor alpha out. It was not his fault that his body craved the embrace of an alpha over that of a beta, after all. Yunho gave his best to help him, too.

"Would you rather I fight any possible predator with my fists?"

"Damn, manly. Maybe next time." His chair creaked audibly as he leaned back. Some crunching gave his snacking away. Seonghwa stopped himself from nagging him to cook some actual food. Not as if San wouldn't just roll his eyes at him anyway.

Seonghwa ignored the apparent dismissal of him being here as he fearlessly stepped further into the little rural town. He led his bike with him at his side and tried to ignore the curious eyes watching him hatefully through tiny gaps and slits on the houses. The town was brown. Lonely footballs that were half-deflated rested forgotten on the streets. Some merchant stalls seemed to have been closed long ago.

Lonely posters fluttered in the warm wind.

Seonghwa's black boots stepped through the sandy streets. Above him, there were drying racks lined between the narrow houses. The washed-out carpets hanging down from them were stained far too intensely for their original colours to ever see the light of day again.

The sandy road crunched underneath his bike as he dragged it through the big gate leading to the centre of the town. Right up ahead, he could see a matte black jeep. Seonghwa rounded the dried out fountain in the middle of the plaza calmly. A group of white doves fluttered away from the church in front of him.

Seonghwa arrived at the driver's side and kicked the stand of his bike down before gently knocking on the door. Despite the jeep's top being open anyway and the window also having been rolled down, he decided to stay polite. No need to get a bullet to the head because he decided to poke some fun.

The person on the driver's seat lazily cracked his eyes open, a crooked smirk lifting the right corner of his mouth up.

"Hey there," Seonghwa greeted him first as he mirrored the other's smile. He stuck his hand through the window so they could shake hands comfortably. The driver's fingers were delicate and soft in Seonghwa's rough and leather-clad hands.

"Those streets were not deserted a moment ago." The man spoke in a deep timbre as he let go of Seonghwa's hand and moved to open the door between them. Seonghwa stepped aside so that he could get out comfortably.

"I've been trying so hard to blend in. I hope I'm the one who frightens them and not something else. The silence seems eerie, don't you think?"

"Expecting someone?" He stepped out of the car to stretch his long limbs, standing about an inch taller than Seonghwa. Seonghwa inconspicuously glanced around, finding just some broken pottery and brittle wooden balconies.

"An old friend, yes. He invited me here, and I'm sure he won't miss out on giving me a grand welcome. I hope you're bulletproof, Bang."

Yongguk threw his head back with laughter, his brooding face brightening with his smile. Seonghwa's shoulders relaxed a bit at the sight. Seeing their old friend still carefree like that despite the weird businesses, Seonghwa kept pulling him in kind of alleviated him.

"I'm glad that this is not the first time we've met under such conditions. I'm pretty sure they will politely wait for us right outside."

Seonghwa sighed as he looked over the circular plaza they stood on. Perfect for an ambush.

As if on cue, San piped up in his ear.

"Hey, you got visitors."

Yongguk slipped back into his car right when in the distance, a rumbling sound became loud. It appeared to grow closer, and soon, Seonghwa could define it as the sound of wood splintering. It seemed like those imbeciles again paid no respect to the surroundings they were in.

"We'll meet at the street in the northeast. I'll distract a few of them for you." Yongguk nonchalantly reached down into the legroom of the seat next to him and pulled up a sleek black suitcase. When he snapped it open, Seonghwa could see two shiny silver pistols inside.

Yongguk handed him one and checked the magazine of the other for himself.

"Bring it back without a scratch. Those are for a customer."

Seonghwa giggled at him while he swung his leather-clad leg over his machine. As he twisted the key, it came to life beneath him with a roar. Feeling its powerful vibrations between his legs, Seonghwa kicked the stand away again, just as another black jeep appeared in the entrance Seonghwa had come through.

"I'll try." With that, he took off without caring for his helmet. Yongguk fled through the west gate while Seonghwa raced away right next to the newcomer car, delivering a few shots to the inside. Men cursed, then they hit the brakes.

Seonghwa kept the gun in his hand as he ducked low over his red and black bike. Alerted, he pricked his ears for any sounds of enemies as he crossed through the narrow streets. Now, he was thankful they were so empty. There would have been no place for people and his bike here.

They had men on motorcycles, too.

Far quieter than any car, one of them suddenly crossed Seonghwa's path, making the man jerk his own bike to the left. He narrowly dodged the stranger, but he also saw the pistol in his hand quite late.

Using their proximity, Seonghwa kicked the bike as strong as his leg allowed him to, sending it tilting away. Out of control, it crashed into a wall, taking the driver right with it, while Seonghwa settled back on his own bike again.

"Phew, that was close."

"Write me a poem about the times I've narrowly escaped death until I come home, please." Seonghwa spared not another breath as he returned to the breakneck situation: getting out of this city in one piece.

Seonghwa shot down another rider shortly after when he appeared behind him. They were clearly slowed down by his hazardous route, but they didn't seem to give up yet.

With grit teeth, Seonghwa cursed Hongjoong inwardly. He hoped this would be worth it.

"Direct me out of here. Is Yongguk's signal on?"

"It's not, as usual, but I can find his pursuers. Turn left."

Seonghwa did, sharply taking the corner and nearly landing on the floor with how much he was leaning to the side. He immediately would have crashed into a barrel right after, but he only scraped its edge instead, devious splinters of wood harmlessly hitting his leather jacket.

It was far too hot for activities like these.

"Go straight and then right at the fifth corner."

Seonghwa sometimes wondered what he would do without San. Die, probably.

Weaving through the alleys of the city, Seonghwa tried to keep the damage to the town to a minimum, but some of those mercenaries fell just too clumsily. Seonghwa hoped that the townspeople would find them before they could get away and maybe release them from their wallets.

Seonghwa found the street Yongguk had been speaking of after some time. He saw the imprints of multiple cars on the sand, indicating that Yongguk might still have been followed. Seonghwa paused to put on his glasses before taking up the hunt.

The dusty streets made operating the bike difficult, but he managed out of sheer luck and some skill. The way he was taking was decorated with some fallen bikers and one smoking car. Yongguk had left a trail of destruction. For a beta as gentle as him, this was great work. Seonghwa gave a respectful nod.

He followed the trail of destruction leading further away from the town. San assured him that he was on the right path even when it was quite obvious where he had gone.

For a few minutes, it was just him. Him, the dirty streets of Peru's outback, and several groaning bikers on the ground. Seonghwa wondered if anybody would come for them or if they were exchangeable like that.

The sound of water in the distance soon overpowered the roar of Seonghwa's bike. It seemed like a big river was coming up, and Seonghwa slowed down carefully when he took notice of the fragile-looking bridge.

Or rather, what was left of it. Clearly, it had been too weak to hold the heavy jeeps crossing over it. The right part of the once broad bridge had broken off. Some jagged wooden planks held it together, but apart from that, there was just a massive hole in the side. Seonghwa guessed that he would be able to see a jeep or at least a few indicators of a vehicle if he looked down there.

He sure hoped it wasn't Yongguk's jeep, though. But based on the lack of other pursuers, he guessed that so far, he had escaped them.

Seonghwa drove over the creaking bridge slowly. There was still enough space for a car to pass over here without getting too close to the edge; yet, Seonghwa was not too fond of pushing his odd luck even further.

He was back on track after a few careful seconds.

Soon, he also found the tip of the trail of strangers that hung to Yongguk like some klutz. There were a few slower bikers that battled with Seonghwa for a few life-threatening seconds. When he had gotten rid of them with only a few scratches left behind on his body, he finally took on the three jeeps trailing Yongguk.

It was a tad more tricky to get rid of those. They were curving left and right in order to dodge him, and sometimes a person appeared on one of the tinted windows to try and shoot him.

In the end, Seonghwa was left with no other option but to shoot their tires. With the first one veering off, Seonghwa gained a few more meters on Yongguk again. The man was also trying to dodge any bullet to his abilities, but he seldomly had the chance to fire at them. Rather, he stayed cautious of the streets.

Seonghwa tried to find a helpful spot to weave into. He avoided the gap right between the two massive jeeps as it would have been far too easy for them to smash him to pieces there. But then again, every jeep veering off poised a risk to him also.

In the end, he still risked it, seeing as they were getting nowhere while driving through the dusty clouds their vehicles kicked up.

Shooting at the tires again, Seonghwa tried to take out the front outer ones at least so they would just crash somewhere on the sides. One of the drivers struggled enough to nearly smash Seonghwa with how he was making a sharp turn to avoid landing in the ditch.

With a few more curses and one of the drivers yelling at Seonghwa, he finally managed to break free of the situation, leaving both jeeps rendered useless behind them. He caught up to Yongguk's side quickly and gave him an exhausted thumbs up. The other man gave a grave nod before pointing just straight ahead, motioning for Seonghwa to follow him.

Seonghwa let him lead the way and spared no glance back to the mess they had created.

He hoped that this was all of the strangers that had been involved. He wished to be alone with Hongjoong and battle him only like he was asking for. There was no more playing around now. Seonghwa would not allow him to take this job away from him too.


	6. Back to the Roots

"So, where's your date?" Yongguk stepped out of his car with a taunting grin. Sighing, Seonghwa parked his dusty bike. He needed to wash his face. The sand and sweat stuck on it felt absolutely horrible.

"Down there. Most of our rendezvous take place in tombs." He swung his leg over the saddle and pulled his jacket off. He was wearing a white shirt underneath that exposed most of the tattoos on his arms, and the black wings on his nape completely. It stuck to him like a second skin, and he was sure that if he were to look down on his body right now, San would whistle wolfishly.

"Wow, bones and mould, that's so romantic. So what are we here for? Did he tell you a reason why you had to come?" Yongguk kicked at a loose piece of metal hanging down from the front of his car before sitting down on the heated hood of his car. It had to be burning right through his washed-out blue jeans, but he did not complain. He casually hooked his tattoed arms around his knees in a loose grip, blinking against the sun.

Seonghwa looked out over the digging site while pushing his hair back. He could see all their past faults now, all the mistakes and dangerous things they had done. The entrance in the ground had been sealed up again and marked as critical, but that would not keep Seonghwa away.

"I guess I could have brought him flowers. Maybe next time. I'm searching for pieces of an amulet here. It's supposed to be a key to Tiwanaku's treasure. He stole the first piece and invited me here to fight for the second one," Seonghwa looked out over the valley beneath them with his binoculars.

"Seems like he took his path, just like last time we met here."

Yongguk pushed his dark locks back as he turned to glance at Seonghwa wordlessly. He held his tongue, though, not giving away whatever he wanted to say.

"Your story begins here?"

"Aye. It begins with his 16-year-old self stealing away the treasure me and my friends worked hard for." Seonghwa could not help the fond smile that sneaked on his lips at the memory. He had been so angry. His spoiled kid self had immediately asked his dad to get Hongjoong back for that and make sure he landed in jail for that. Seonghwa had held himself in much higher standards than anybody else at the time. Hid dad had only ruffled his hair and laughed.

"This was never your treasure, to begin with, son. If he got his hands on it first, then it's his to take. You just need to be better next time."

And better, he was. Seonghwa trained hard to make sure he wouldn't lack any skill when he met Hongjoong the next time. And he got back at him. The second instance they had met it was Seonghwa, who had taken off with the artefact triumphantly.

Seonghwa didn't notice Yongguk's watchful eyes on him as he adjusted his gloves. He was still smiling.

Hongjoong had been such a scrawny and tiny kid then. He had not yet presented as any second gender - being later than Seonghwa had been - and thus, his physique was much harder to train than Seonghwa's. Being an alpha, it had been easy for Seonghwa to build steely muscle and use his height to his advantage. However, ever since Hongjoong had presented two years after as whatever he was underneath all those scent blockers, he had grown considerably, too.

Seonghwa's mind came to a screeching halt when the inappropriate picture of Hongjoong in that tight latex suit invaded his thoughts again. He surely had grown in _that_ regard, also.

Shaking the horrible thought off, Seonghwa focused on the site again.

"Anyways, it would be nice to get back at him today. Will you help me dig it open?"

Yongguk slipped down from his car with a broad grin. He dusted his hands off on his black tank top before lifting his hands to put his hair together in a ponytail. He looked cute with it, not like an illegal goods dealer at all.

"Of course, that's what I'm here for, aren't I? Seeing as those dudes are still out there, I might stay anyway until you are back out. Better be safe than sorry if anybody tries to interrupt your date."

With an appreciative hum, Seonghwa gave him a finger gun.

"What a good friend you are, Bang."

Yongguk copied the stupid gesture.

"I am. Don't you dare ever forsake me, I will curse you until all of eternity."

Laughing, they made their way down the hill to the digging area. There was a pond nearby that Seonghwa used to wash his torso and face with quickly. The cool water made it easier for him to check on any of his minor injuries and patch them up. After washing the sand out of his hair too, he slipped back into his shirt, still dripping wet.

Yongguk chuckled at him when Seonghwa came back over to help him rip the wooden barricade over the hole away.

"I see you're trying to seduce him."

Seonghwa flicked a few water drops at the humoured beta.

"Be careful out here while I'm away. I don't want to pick up your pieces after I return."

Yongguk's eyes were dark when he directed them at Seonghwa. Roughly, his hands ripped one of the last few pieces off it would take for Seonghwa to spring down.

"I don't think I'm in too serious danger. And I also got weapons. Plus, I know how to use them. My chances are not that bad," he assured Seonghwa warmly, while the man was already swinging his legs over the edge. There was water underneath them, having somehow found its way in. He hoped he would be able to evade it further inside.

"I'll see you in a few hours, then. If there's any trouble, call San. He'll patch you through." Seonghwa tapped against his comm that immediately gave a low hum in response. San was quiet today, probably busy with Yunho or Yeosang in the background.

"I will, take care."

Seonghwa jumped down into the fresh water. According to San, his PDA was waterproof, and apart from that, he was carrying nothing with him that could become a problem. He held his breath as he dove deeper into the cave they had dug all those years ago. Despite not having been here ever since then, he seemed to know the surroundings as if it was his home. It took him only two minutes to breach into the sunken ruins.

The sand had swallowed the old temple right up, and now it was also flooded. Maybe it was just their luck. The current conditions certainly kept unwanted visitors away.

Seonghwa swam through a large hall he dimly remembered chasing Hongjoong through and into a hole they had made in a wall to gain access at that time. Thankfully, a flight of stairs led further up into the ruins here, and the water did not reach that far up.

Seonghwa resurfaced, dripping water everywhere and with his clothes stuck to him. At least he felt slightly cleaner now. With heavy steps, he scaled the rest of the stairs and found himself in a cold corridor. It was not too dark for him to see, so there were probably still some openings pointing to the sun further up. Still, he took out his flashlight and shone his way to avoid any possible traps.

He also kept his eyes out for a certain red-haired grave robber, but so far, there was no trace of him.

Seonghwa only found a nearly starved hyena he put to sleep with a merciful shot.

"Where is he? This place is huge, I have no idea where to search for him," Seonghwa murmured mostly to himself as he jumped up some platform that led to another one of those classic spike traps. Again, he somehow made his way over on some ridges in the wall. He despised the ground giving way under his feet much more than wolves or enemies who at least announced themselves.

"I think there's a larger place if you go to the left now. The corridors look as if they are leading to some important hall," Yeosang replied through his headset. Seonghwa checked on the layout his PDA had memorised for him so far. Indeed, it seemed as if it was leading to one central hall that looked important enough to store artefacts in.

"Thanks, dear. How is your health?" Seonghwa went right, shining his way through thick spider webs and around some stubborn plants that sprouted through the walls.

"I'm fine now. Yunho was a treasure and brought me my medicine to bed in the morning," he sighed contently and then purred. Seonghwa could imagine the picture they made right now. Yeosang was probably cuddled up in San's lap while the man was just tapping away on his PCs. Yeosang liked to just curl up there and slumber for a bit, sharing warmth.

"I'm glad. Do you want me to bring you a souvenir?" Seonghwa stepped up another flight of stairs and found himself in a room with no floor. Obviously, it had once been some hidden trap too, but the structure had long since disappeared in the thick darkness underneath. Sighing, he made his way over to the statues that framed the walls to climb up there.

"That would be nice. But don't let it be a skull, please. I didn't like the last one."

Seonghwa laughed out loud and put his lamp away before climbing up the stone skillfully.

"I see what I can do. You know, a skull is always the easiest solution."

"Try a bit harder this time," Yeosang pouted cutely, and an affectionate hum came from San. Seonghwa wanted to ruffle Yeosang's soft locks. He made himself an inner reminder to do so as soon as he returned home.

"I will."

When he finally reached the other end after five minutes of tense climbing, Seonghwa skipped over to the latter leading up to another opening further up. He finally found what he had been searching for inside.

It was the coffin of the Princess of Tiwanaku. The stone was firmly shut, but that did not repel Seonghwa. Dusting his gloves off one last time, he pushed against the lid with all of his might.

He had to use all of his strength for it even to move the slightest. Sweat ran over his forehead again, when he finally managed to open it just far enough to reach in.

Curiously, he shone his flashlight in. He came face to face with the mummified head of a corpse that had the wonderful stench of death to it.

"Lovely," San commented disgustedly.

Seonghwa did not mind him, as he fearlessly reached inside. He grasped the amulet hanging around her neck carefully, and ripped the brittle leather necklace off before taking it in his possession.

"Nice."

Seonghwa sat back, satisfied and put the piece of metal in his backpack so they could take a look at it later. Then, he closed the coffin again. He was in the middle of pushing the lid back into its place when San's voice came through.

"It's Yongguk, you have him on the line."

"Yongguk." Seonghwa closed the thing and then turned around. Hongjoong leaned right behind him on the wall, a small smirk painting his lips. Seonghwa stepped over to him and grabbed both of his wrists as they tried to reach out for his backpack.

"I just got a call from another friend, they need to meet me back in the town. Will you be alright?" Yongguk asked huskily against his ear while Seonghwa crowded Hongjoong against the wall by pressing his hands against it above his head. Hongjoong made not a single noise and just arched into Seonghwa's body with that sinful catsuit of his. His lidded gaze didn't waver.

"Sure. I already found my ticket out of here anyway," Seonghwa murmured without taking his eyes off Hongjoong's pretty face. The man had tipped his head back against the rough stone wall, exposing his neck to Seonghwa. His alpha growled at him to bite the defiant omega already, but he restrained himself.

"Alright. Have fun with him, we'll talk later." With that, Yongguk tapped out again, and San fell silent too. Seonghwa raised a brow at Hongjoong.

"I see you were faster this time."

"You just needed me to open the coffin for you."

Hongjoong's grin was blinding, his fangs showing in it.

"You got me. Now, you had it first, but I won't let you just walk out with it."

"Call your men back and let my friend up there leave in peace, then we can talk."

Curious, Hongjoong cocked his head.

"Which men? I brought no men today."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come at me on twitter if you want random infos about my stories! @Susimau_s


	7. Plans for Japan

"They don't belong to you? Then who is it?" Seonghwa furrowed his brows at Hongjoong, disliking the way the smirking man was standing so lax in his grip. He seemed entirely at ease with the current situation, even knowing that strangers were hunting them. 

"I actually came to discuss that with you, seeing as it interferes not only with my work but also with yours. Aren't I such a good arch-enemy?" Hongjoong blinked innocently as if they wouldn't shoot each other on sight. Seonghwa pressed him against the rough wall boldly, aligning their bodies with each other. He tried to ignore the way Hongjoong's smaller form felt against him to the best of his ability, but his treacherous mind kept wandering off.

"Do you want me to call you a good boy now?" Seonghwa growled back darkly, trying to hide his irritation behind a defensive facade. Hongjoong shuddered as he breathed in Seonghwa's scent. 

Seonghwa knew that this was wrong, that he was involuntarily luring in the omega with his promising scent. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to step back. 

"Maybe? But I'm afraid you won't praise me even if I ask nicely. Let's just call it a favour from me," the redhair purred lasciviously, making the tension all the thicker as his eyes dropped to Seonghwa's lips. It was painfully obvious what he was trying to do, and for the first time, Seonghwa was glad not to be able to smell the other man. He might have tricked Seonghwa with that.

"Stop this; I'm not attracted to you." Seonghwa shifted his legs further apart to stand threateningly above Hongjoong. He wanted to clear the table right away and not leave Hongjoong any opportunities to tantalise him further. Their hostility towards each other would not escalate in attraction, no matter how gorgeous Hongjoong was these days.

"Are you sure? The way you look at me doesn't match your words."

"Stop teasing me, I know you're after the artefact. You came to talk, so talk."

Hongjoong gave him an angelic grin that curled the corners of his mouth like those of a cat. Immediately, he stopped trying to break free from Seonghwa's grip on him subtly.

"You got me again. You've grown sharper over the years, Park."

"Yet, it seems like your light has dulled. Aren't you more creative than that?" Suspicious, Seonghwa looked him up and down, shaking his head at the impractical piercings in his ears. One day, Hongjoong would rip his ear off because of them, and Seonghwa would laugh at him. He deserved that.

Still, Hongjoong's face looked far too smug for Seonghwa's liking. His pointy features made him appear like a mischievous imp. Seonghwa suspected he had ulterior motives. He had to, he always did.

"Hm, maybe I just came to confuse you? Who knows. So, what do you know about Takuya Terada, Angry Bird?" Hongjoong leaned back against the wall with a challenging stare.

Seonghwa quickly racked his brain and tried not to think about Hongjoong's firm chest pressing against his too much.

"He's that yakuza," San quickly supplied, and in exchange for that information, Seonghwa ignored the amused tone in his voice. That little brat was enjoying Seonghwa's struggle in his warm chair in England.

"The yakuza?"

Hongjoong gave a grave nod. 

"Rather than me, you should worry about him stealing this artefact away. He broke into the university in Waseda to gain another piece a few days ago. Take a wild guess whose men this might be."

Perplexed, Seonghwa lifted his brow at the other man, not quite believing his words. But then again, Hongjoong had never lied to him. He was honest to the point of oversharing.

"What do the yakuza want with some amulet?"

Hongjoong shrugged, alerting Seonghwa of his loosening grip. Again, he grabbed the man's wrists more tightly. Hongjoong playfully rose both of his brows at him for a moment. Seonghwa stubbornly ignored the implication he was getting at.

"I don't know; maybe he needs it to make one of his consorts a heartfelt compliment. The why does not matter, Seonghwa. It's how we get it back."

"There is no we. It is my artefact to claim. I don't even know what _you_ want with it."

Hongjoong rolled his eyes at him, making Seonghwa punishingly press his weight against the other man. With the way Hongjoong shifted his shoulder grimacing, inducing pain had worked.

"Yeah, I get it, you big child. What I was saying was that both of us would probably take on the yakuza for this. I'm kindly asking you to stay out of my way."

Speechless, Seonghwa stared down at him. Hongjoong's eyes did not waver, and their seriousness proved his point.

San dared to throw a word in.

"If you let him get it and get it from him later, you won't have to bring up the whole Japanese mafia against you," he timidly tried.

Seonghwa didn't listen to him.

"As if I would do that. I just told you, this is my business. I'd rather you keep your paws off already. I totally don't need you to mess things up further." Especially not in that damn catsuit, but Seonghwa was not going to tell him that.

Hongjoong gave a defeated sigh. 

"I knew asking you politely would not work. I should have sealed you in here and gone there right away instead."

"You little dwarf can't keep me from doing my job," Seonghwa hissed at him darkly. However, Hongjoong further remained nonchalant to his threats. It riled Seonghwa up. He wanted to see the omega cower with fear. 

Despite being accepting and tolerant of the genders, the need to push Hongjoong into a lower rank in hierarchy seemed to fill the alpha's mind restlessly. Seonghwa would never try to make an omega submit to him just because he could, but now, he considered it.

He just hoped Yeosang would not see this, but then again, Hongjoong did not seem to react to Seonghwa's scent at all. How was he not submitting yet?

"I guess I can't. I owe you twenty, Mingi," Hongjoong chuckled into his own earpiece, completely calm.

Irritated, Seonghwa fought down the need to rip the man's comm away. He wanted Hongjoong's attention on him only.

The possessive thought startled him, but then again, he shared a long story with this nemesis of his.

"I guess we don't have anything to say to each other then. Even if I told you to just go for another piece first, of course, you'd try to keep me from getting any. Let's keep up this struggle, then."

Seonghwa drew his eyebrows together at the way the man was speaking to him. How dare he talk down on Seonghwa as if he was a stubborn child? He could always back out himself.

"Come on, enough cuddling, let me leave. I'll leave you with this and make sure I'll be faster in Japan. Then I'll take off with my second piece while you struggle with the yakuza." Hongjoong gently pulled on his wrists, and Seonghwa immediately stepped back with a scowl. He let go of the man, but he kept one of his hands near his backpack at any time.

However, Hongjoong just lifted his empty hands diplomatically before turning on the spot. He jumped down the platform swiftly, rolling off before making his way over to the bottomless pit.

Seonghwa suspiciously watched his retreating back and the sway of his hips. He would deny how good those weapon holsters looked strapped around the man's thick thighs.

"You sure you're not attracted to him?"

Seonghwa felt the need to swat at San like an annoying bug. He kept it in mind. As soon as he got home, Yeosang got a petting session, and San would get hit. Maybe he should bring a gift for Yunho, out of solidarity.

"I'm not. Check if what he said is true. I want a ticket to Japan as soon as possible. I might just not come home in between and go straight ahead; maybe we can outrun him." Seonghwa jumped down the edge, too, following closely behind Hongjoong. 

"Will do. I'll leave you to it for a moment, gotta make some calls for that. Don't fall to your death because you are busy staring at his ass."

Seonghwa grumbled to himself.

"Those shots are all for you, sweetie. Gotta treat my thirsty coworkers."

San merely gave a snort before the audio cut off as he went to work. Seonghwa knew that he was on mute right now, but his screen was still on. San would watch him anyways and jump right back in if Seonghwa needed him.

Seonghwa could also send a warning signal to him anytime if something were to happen.

Quietly, he stalked behind Hongjoong through the corridors. Both of his hands were ready to pull his weapon at any time, and he kept his body alerted should the man decide to attack him suddenly.

However, he hesitated when Hongjoong turned left where Seonghwa would go right.

"You're leaving that way?"

Hongjoong threw a casual gaze over his shoulder.

"It's faster. My chopper can only go this route."

He slowed down when he noticed Seonghwa remaining stood in place. In the end, he turned, looking Seonghwa up and down.

"You know, you can still follow. If you have no motivation to kill those guys coming down here, this way is safer and quicker. But in case you're too prideful for that, see you later."

It was not that Seonghwa didn't want to fight. He was not afraid of conflicts. But he was yearning to spend more than five minutes with Hongjoong, and at the same time, he didn't want to fall into his trap either.

Hongjoong turned again, stalking off. 

With a defeated sigh, Seonghwa followed him with a big enough distance between them.

-

Hongjoong's path, too, ended in the water. They swam through it comfortably, and indeed, Hongjoong didn't try to attack Seonghwa even once. Seonghwa was still suspicious, though. They climbed out on the other side of the rocky hill. It was hidden enough that luckily no mercenaries were there yet.

"Well then, I'm gonna get my bike and meet my friend in the city," Seonghwa murmured after getting out of the water and pushing his hair back. This goodbye was kind of awkward.

"I'm gonna come with you. I wanna see if it's really as red as my hair, and if there are enemies nearby, I might get a few pieces of information out of them." Hongjoong shrugged calmly, and then they were walking again.

Indeed, there was no enemy nearby when they reached the bike. They must have either descended to search or given up already. Seonghwa just hoped they were leaving Yongguk alone.

Glad to see his bike unscathed and strategically hidden behind a few bushes, Seonghwa pulled it free and swung his right leg over it. With deft fingers, he opened the storage and put his backpack inside, locking it again in front of Hongjoong's eyes.

"I loved the black one, but I like this one more. It's pretty." Hongjoong appreciatively ran his fingers over the handlebar, humming. Seonghwa imagined the man's gentle touch on his own body instead, nearly shuddering.

When Seonghwa spoke, his words came out far too dumbly. He did not think and winced in regret right after he had spoken them.

"Care for a ride?"

Seonghwa felt himself blush, the need to throw himself off a cliff rising quickly. However, Hongjoong just gave a graceful laugh. 

"I see how it is, Park. Not attracted to me, huh?" With that, he confidently swung one leg over the bike in front of Seonghwa, stunning him with his flexibility. Hongjoong settled down over Seonghwa's thighs, grabbing his shoulders for purchase.

Seonghwa sat frozen underneath him, not daring to move a muscle while he held them upright on the bike. He had a latex-clad, red-haired and gorgeous boy on his bike, in his lap. He needed to remember how to breathe for now. He tried to keep his body from reacting.

He nearly flinched when Hongjoong extended his hand to caress Seonghwa's cheek, pulling him in slowly. Their faces were far too close together, both of their lips parted with breathless anticipation. Seonghwa caught himself grabbing Hongjoong's waist and tugging the man just a tad bit further up his thighs.

Hongjoong hummed low in his throat. One of his hands slid into Seonghwa's neck, brushing through the short and wet hair there before settling over his tattoo. They breathed each other's air now, Seonghwa's heart desperately yearning for the other man.

However, Hongjoong did not kiss him. His prettily bowed lips always stayed just out of Seonghwa's reach.

"Stay clear of Japan, and I will fulfil your desires," he murmured slyly.

Warningly, Seonghwa squeezed his hips.

"Don't speak lightly of this. I will hold you to it."

Hongjoong threw his head back with laughter. For a moment, he looked down at Seonghwa fondly, then he moved down from the bike again. His heat disappeared from Seonghwa's grasp as fast as it had come.

"I know you. I don't have to worry about this, as there is no way you won't show up in Japan. Go. Take your badass flower tattoos back to England and take a break. We can still play in Japan."

With that, Hongjoong gave a lazy wave of his hand and took off to where his chopper was just appearing in the sky. Seonghwa was left dumbfounded.

San rudely turned his mic back on.

"What the hell did I just witness?"


	8. Evening Date

Seonghwa stepped out of the elevator in an expensive blue velvet suit. He smoothed his lapels down and made sure his bowtie sat perfectly before making his way down the corridor. He looked classy, his hair was smoothed back safe for one comma strand, and he was wearing an expensive wristwatch on the hand he had loosely put in his pocket.

Stepping inside the building without any weapon at all felt all kinds of weird, but he would not go to a fancy cocktail party with a shotgun on his back.

For now, he was just collecting intel. This place was not the one a fight was supposed to happen in.

"Yongguk's waiting for you in his lounge. Terada has not arrived yet."

With long steps, Seonghwa crossed the corridor over to the two circular staircases leading down into the main room. There was some funky music coming from there, and a few colourful lights flickered over the fancy walls and expensive interior. Seonghwa took a moment to overlook the situation.

There was much secret stuff going on under the table. People were swaying to the music with glasses in their hands while their lips whispered of illegal drugs, weapons or whatever they dealt. The barkeeper at the left corner was giving out information to individual customers, too.

There was a door leading to the right, into another direction that Seonghwa knew Yongguk's office was in. He had to be careful. Terada's men had to be here already, and he could not disclose his affiliation with the man.

With elegant steps, Seonghwa went down the staircase, pulling multiple curious gazes to his form. His presence alerted them of the dominant alpha in the room with them, and as he scented the air, he could not detect a single omega. They were mostly alphas, and the few betas in the place had to be bodyguards. It seemed their hierarchy was essential to them.

Seonghwa greeted a few of them with a polite nod as he received a glass of champagne from one of the waiters. He didn't stay to mingle, trying to get right to Yongguk. However, before he managed to get through, another dark-haired waiter crossed his path. He seemed to freeze right in Seonghwa's way, making his eyebrow quirk at the confused-looking boy.

He did not dwell on it for too long, though, instead rounding him smoothly.

However, the man spoke right when Seonghwa passed him.

"You don't look too bad today, Park," he snickered in a much too familiar voice.

Fucking Kim Hongjoong.

Seonghwa abruptly whipped his head around, but the man had already disappeared between the people again. Cautious, Seonghwa continued his path.

Hongjoong was here already. How did he get in? Did he have his connections, too? Seonghwa had to be faster than him at all costs.

With the glass in his hand, Seonghwa wandered up until Yongguk's office. His two guards checked Seonghwa's fingerprint before letting him in. They closed the door behind him.

Inside the spacious office, Yongguk was already waiting for him. He rose from behind his heavy mahogany table to join Seonghwa for a hug.

"Welcome to Japan, Seonghwa."

"Thanks again for letting me in here. I know my presence causes a risk to your customers."

Japan was Yongguk's main country of dealing. They had met here too, a long time ago, when Yongguk had shown interest in the artefacts Seonghwa had stolen for the first time. Yongguk was working hand in hand with the yakuza, yet, Terada did not seem to know of his connection to Seonghwa.

"It's fine; you're a friend. Terada said to meet you soon outside. I have something for you." With that, he presented Seonghwa with a heavy black suitcase. The contents were apparent from its weight, and Seonghwa smirked wryly at the other man.

"Try not to kill any guest out there. Those are important to me." Yongguk's smile was bright in the dark twilight of the room. The colourful lights from the streets far beneath them did not reach into the darkest corners.

"I'll try. There is a rat outside, too. But no worries, I have experience with those. I'll remove it for you."

Seonghwa wondered if Yongguk was even aware.

Yet, the man just blinked mildly surprised and then gave an appreciative nod.

"Do as you please." Yongguk lifted his own glass to toast with Seonghwa, and they drank before Seonghwa went out again. He strutted through the doors confidently, and without minding the two guards that had been replaced by tattoed men with guns.

When he rounded the corner, he got to see the last woman in a fancy dress just scrambling up the stairs. The room was devoid of any party guests, and the disco mood had been exchanged with a constant, bright light that appeared cold.

The yakuza was standing right in the middle of the room, waiting for Seonghwa with crossed arms. Eight of his men surrounded them.

Seonghwa straightened a bit when he met the man's eyes, a confident smirk coming to play on his lips. Slowly, he stepped closer without minding the men with guns around him.

"Be brief, Mister Park. I have many demands on my time, you understand?" The young man spoke in Japanese, scrutinising Seonghwa sharply. Seonghwa effortlessly switched languages, his posture casual. The suitcase dangled from his fingers inconspicuously.

"Of course, Terada-san. I am looking for a piece - an amulet fragment - in the care of Waseda University. Or it was until you stole it," Seonghwa got right to the point. He smiled when the other man gave a disbelieving laugh.

"I am not a thief, and you would be wise to avoid such accusations." His scent was threatening, challenging Seonghwa's own alpha to fight, and show him who was stronger. Again, he practised patience.

"Then I suggest we skip to the negotiations."

Terada narrowed his eyes at Seonghwa.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." A last warning. His men tensed in preparation.

"Of course you do. Just name a price." Seonghwa smiled again, deliberately getting on the man's nerves.

"Mister Park, are you deaf?" It was the last moment for Seonghwa to back out. Yet, he didn't.

"I don't know; let's see. Try begging for your life like a good boy," Seonghwa grinned boldly, his eyes sliding over to the counter the barkeeper had abandoned. Terada's sudden order cut through the air like a whip.

"Kill him! Kill him now!" With that, he turned on the spot and ran, while the fire was opened on Seonghwa.

Having foreseen that, Seonghwa managed to leap over the counter in the right moment, crashing down on the floor behind in the expectation of gaining a few bruises.

However, instead of the cold hard marble floor, he landed softly.

"What-"

"Oh, aren't you such a dear? Coming sprawling right into my lap when I most need it."

His voice alone ticked Seonghwa off, so he made a point to glare at Hongjoong witheringly before pushing himself up on the floor. He tried to ignore how he had indeed fallen right onto the other man.

"Bad moment." Seonghwa turned to snap the suitcase open, blinking at the two shiny silver pistols inside. He just wanted to comment on it, when behind him, Hongjoong moved, and a shot sounded.

Hongjoong dropped down behind Seonghwa again then, using the second of peace they had to exchange the shotgun in his hands with Seonghwa's suitcase.

"Here. That sly bastard mixed up our weapons intentionally." Hongjoong gave a scoff before he jumped out of their hiding spot to fight. Perplexed, Seonghwa hurried to strip his jacket and bowtie off, throwing it on the pile of clothes Hongjoong had left behind. Then, he kicked the suitcase off and followed behind his nemesis.

Seonghwa fearlessly entered the battle and shot down the man at the end of the room, who was just calling for backup first. Hongjoong was dangerously dodging bullets on the stairs as he hunted the men down that had taken cover up there.

In the next moment, Seonghwa was grabbed from behind and pulled back. He had to twist in his enemies' arms to kick up into his stomach, elbowing him in the face twice. The burly man still didn't go down, and again pressed up against Seonghwa, sending heat travelling through his body.

This was a bad moment for one on one fighting like this.

Seonghwa got nearly crushed by the other man's grip alone, yet, he managed to fend him off by hitting him with the butt of his weapon. With the man tumbling down on Seonghwa, he gave a little surprised whine when his sensitive middle was brushed by the other man's spasming leg.

Seonghwa shot him quickly and scrambled away to shoot the last one in his field of sight.

The few men were gone soon, but they had left destruction everywhere. There were bullet holes in the walls and bar counter, the TV above was shattered, and emitting pitiful sparks, and most of the expensive drinks were shattered, and emptied out on the floor.

Seonghwa felt kind of sorry. Still, he hurried to check if everybody was entirely dead while doing his best to conceal the hardness in his pants.

Fighting with a gun worked so well for him, why did they have to get so close today of all times?

"Hwa, are you alright? He didn't trigger your rut, right?"

Seonghwa did an inward check of his body. He felt aroused, yes, and the itch of his late circle was also still there, but there were no signals of him going wild yet.

"I'm alright. It just has to wait now," he murmured under his breath and adjusted his angry arousal before facing Hongjoong on top of the stairs. When their eyes met, the omega saluted him mockingly before he bolted.

Seonghwa just moved to run after him when he heard steps coming down the corridor. Alerted, he waited, but it was just Yongguk, who risked a careful peek into the room. At the sight of the mess, he sighed.

"Terada has no doubt returned to his penthouse. Do not follow him, Seonghwa. His men will be waiting." Yongguk moved to kneel down next to some corpse, nudging it carefully. Seonghwa opened the first three buttons of his white shirt, feeling overheated.

"His lobby's a death trap. I know you're into those, but it's not really a winning option. You should find another way," San agreed via the headset. Seonghwa looked around to see if he could spot Hongjoong anywhere. It had been great seeing him in an actual suit for once, and not that damn catsuit. It made it easier for Seonghwa to try and kill him without distractions.

However, when there was no trace of the man, Seonghwa turned to look out through the high windows, and into the lightened skyscrapers around them that loomed into the sky like teeth.

"If I can't go down, I'll go up. How do I get to the roof?"

Yongguk looked mildly alarmed, but he handed a key card over without complaining. Seonghwa pocketed it with a nod.

"The roof? There is an elevator. Be cautious; there is construction above. I don't want you falling to your death right in front of my window." Yongguk rolled his eyes hard enough it just had to hurt, making Seonghwa giggle.

"Do you have an all-around view? I'll try to fall down on the other side, no worries."

With that, he wandered off, right towards the elevator Yongguk had pointed him to. It was only when he stepped in that he remembered having forgotten to ask Yongguk about the curious incident with his and Hongjoong's weapons. So it had been his pistols in Peru. How had Seonghwa not recognised them?

"You sure you don't want to take a bathroom break? Your scent might gather some unwanted attention."

Seonghwa looked down on his body and decided it was not too apparent while he was standing. Which he wouldn't do for a lot of time, but that would be to no bother to him.

"I call it means of distraction. Who knows, I might even confuse Hongjoong enough to have him stumble into a door or something."

San gave a snort at that, not commenting further.

"Yeah, good luck trying that. That is if you don't fall off the fucking building first because his bodyline distracts you."

Seonghwa shushed him with an indignant blush decorating his cheeks.


	9. Inside of a Penthouse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehehehe smut

Seonghwa had trouble concentrating.

His rut having set out despite Yeosang going into heat was worrisome enough by itself, but he had no time to go to the doctor's office right now. Even more than that, though, the fact that he was staying hard for a far too elongated time while he was on a mission bothered him.

It was nothing new for his body to react to him fighting. As much as San loved to tease him for it, it was still part of Seonghwa's continuous routine. Today, though, the heat would just not go away, no matter how much he willed it to. His impending rut kept his body excited despite the danger of the situation.

And that was indeed a problem.

Especially, since these yakuza preferred using Jiu-Jitsu on Seonghwa much more than shooting at him. They made the situation much worse.

With sweat dripping down his neck, Seonghwa rose from another man he had just put down. His arousal was straining against his pants, begging for attention even as he brushed his hair back and rolled up his sleeves.

"Hwa, please take a break. You can't go on like this. If they actually trigger you somewhere in there, you're as good as dead. Terada's men won't have mercy on a savage alpha."

Seonghwa grimaced at the implication that those bastards would very much like an omega, however.

For a split second, a flash of worry filled Seonghwa.

What if that ever happened to Hongjoong? What if he ever went into heat during a mission? His scent blockers would not be able to mask his arousal, and he would be far too weak to defend himself.

The thought of a group of hungry alphas having their fun with him made Seonghwa shiver. Quickly, he pushed it aside. He was not here to care for the guy. He was his enemy, no matter his gender.

"No time for a break. I won't let him run off with my artefact again."

Breathing heavily, Seonghwa leaned against the wall for a moment as he tried to regain his senses. He was overheated as if he was running a fever, clearly a side effect of his cycle malfunctioning. The need for release was strong, but he would not allow himself such a distraction. The adrenaline in his veins kept him from finding that kind of freedom anyway.

"Seonghwa. You're leaving me with no other choice."

"Shut up, San. I'll have to turn you on silent if this goes on." Seonghwa pushed himself off the wall to continue making his way down Terada's apartment. He had used the construction scaffold to get over to the other building and found his way in through the rooftop terrace. Now, he just had to find Terada in this massive building while his condition gradually worsened.

San fell quiet while Seonghwa stumbled down the stairs. Right now, he was looking for some sort of central control room so that he could check the security cameras for Terada's current location.

Seonghwa nearly ran into another enemy as he tripped over his own boots. He shot the man down dirtily, hitting his shoulder instead of his head. Before the man could scream too much, he released him from his pain.

Seonghwa had finally found what he had been searching for but it was suspiciously quiet inside.

Careful, he opened the door and peeked in before going.

There were some bodies already on the ground unmoving, and traces of fighting showed a destructive path through the room. There were a lot of single cubicles with computers inside, and a meeting room with the most important controls on a gallery in the back.

Seonghwa moved to it slowly, having to balance himself on the walls when his legs nearly gave out underneath him. His sight was wavering to the point of him getting irritated.

It was not that dramatic, what was his body doing?

Blindly, Seonghwa reached out for the next edge only to miss it by a good thirty centimetres.

Nobody saw that.

With a surprised yelp, Seonghwa fell forward. He tried to hold onto something, but for a long, terrifying second, he found nothing.

Then, however, another body stepped into his open arms, taking his weight effortlessly.

With a groan, Seonghwa tried to pull back as he was being pulled up, expecting a knee to his stomach or a weapon to his head.

However, instead of that, he just received a cool hand on his forehead.

"Are you running a fever? I noticed you looking kind of pale today, but I didn't think it was to the point of you turning sick. Didn't you take a break after Peru?"

Seonghwa gave an inward sigh. His head was still very much awake, and able to recognise that voice easily, thank you very much.

But then again, he didn't rest. He should have listened to San and come home to see a doctor before going.

Hongjoong carefully cradled Seonghwa in his arms as he checked his temperature once again with his own forehead.

"It's not a fever. What are you doing stumbling around like a foal?"

This was a perfect time to tell Hongjoong off. He could just hit the man and lock him somewhere until he found the artefact. And then he would laugh into Hongjoong's face for being too slow again.

But then again, Seonghwa really wasn't feeling well.

"Seonghwa, hey. Are you even listening to me?" He sounded ticked off, and sluggishly, Seonghwa tried to find the right controls on his body to pull back from Hongjoong's welcoming form. He looked great with that blood all over his half-unbuttoned shirt.

"I am, calm down. It's not that dramatic. Let's return to being rivals, please." Seonghwa stepped back only to fall over a trash bin behind him. Hongjoong's face looked adorably surprised for a moment before he reached out to catch Seonghwa again. Up close, Seonghwa could see the spray paint on his hair coming off.

However, now, they were pressed far too close together, and there was no way Hongjoong didn't feel it.

"What- You still have this condition? Getting hard from fighting?" Bold, Hongjoong reached down to cup Seonghwa above his pants as if he had to check. Immediately, Seonghwa's scent spiked excitedly. Embarrassed, he hid his face in Hongjoong's neck.

The other man just cooed at him.

"Why, you too scared I'll win to take care of this? Come on, I'll even wait for you, aren't I the nicest?"

"Can't- Rut won't work."

Why was Seonghwa even telling him this? His face was burning from the blood rushing into it rapidly, and he hid even further.

Hongjoong placed a worried hand on Seonghwa's lower back, keeping him upright.

"It won't? Don't you have an omega at home? Then why-"

Seonghwa interrupted him with a whine, feeling much too heated with the man pressing against him.

"I don't know! I'll see a doctor but not before beating you to this." His voice got lost in an uncertain murmur.

Hongjoong disbelievingly chuckled at him. He just breathed in to speak again when suddenly in the distance, voices got loud. It sounded as if a group of men were closing up on them, and they were standing in the middle of the hallway very visible.

Hongjoong swiftly pulled Seonghwa with him into the nearest cubicle. When Seonghwa was standing, the sombre grey walls reached up until his shoulders, protecting his body mostly.

On reflex, he pulled his weapon and pointed it at the door, expecting Hongjoong to do the same.

Surprisingly, the man rather dropped down on his knees, disappearing somewhere beneath.

Confused, Seonghwa blinked down at him, not entirely processing the man tugging at his belt. He opened it with deft fingers, quickly unbuttoning Seonghwa's soft pants too.

By the time Seonghwa understood, Hongjoong was already tugging his length out of his underwear.

"H-Hey, wait! What are you doing right now?!" Seonghwa's grip shook around his weapon.

Hongjoong stared up at him with those intelligent eyes of his, his face nonplussed.

"What does it look like? I'm helping you out. This is the second favour you owe me." With that, he took Seonghwa's tip right between his plush lips, giving it the first taste.

Yelping, Seonghwa reached for his hair to pull him off, only to grab at his gun again with a curse when the enemies suddenly opened the doors. His first shot hit the first intruder right in the chest.

A tremble travelled through his body when Hongjoong gave a low moan at the recoil that shook Seonghwa's form. He desperately wanted to pull the hot mouth off his hardness to focus, but there was no way for him to do that. He had to take down a dozen of yakuza first.

Another shot, another kill.

Hongjoong slowly sunk down on Seonghwa's impressive length with no care in the world for the bloodshed around them. One of his hands was holding onto Seonghwa's tensed thigh to keep him from pulling away, while the other was wrapped around his base, gently heating up his knot. His pointed tongue flicking away at Seonghwa's sensitive spots felt good, way too good.

Physically fighting to keep a cool head, Seonghwa tried to ignore that it was Hongjoong between his legs. He rather focused on shooting alone and didn't mind his hips gently rolling against the omega's face.

He had no idea why Hongjoong was doing this. He was most likely planning a trap again, but Seonghwa didn't have the time to be suspicious. Right now, he had to make sure he wouldn't die with Hongjoong on his knees for him.

He nearly missed the next shot when Hongjoong suddenly decided to take even more of him down his throat. Seonghwa was waiting for him to gag, but it just wouldn't. Far too fast, Hongjoong was sloppily taking all of him to close his lips around Seonghwa's knot.

For the first time, Seonghwa had no more doubts about the man being an omega. He was built to do this.

"Careful," he growled at his fellow grave robber when he felt his long-awaited orgasm approaching quickly. Getting stuck to Hongjoong's face now because the man took him too deep might be the most stupid thing to happen.

Hongjoong just gave an amused hum as a response that made Seonghwa's legs give out way too suddenly.

With a warning call, he stumbled, his knees making contact with the wall of the cubicle. Hongjoong's head roughly collided with the wood too, making Seonghwa wince in apology. Worried, he glanced down after he had found his balance again only to see Hongjoong quickly rip out one of the guns he was wearing on his thighs.

He shot the man who had just appeared right next to them while Seonghwa was distracted.

Surprised by his own carelessness, Seonghwa met Hongjoong's eyes. The man was staring up at him warningly, but Seonghwa got distracted by the sight of his slick and swollen lips stretching around his member. Hongjoong hadn't quite buried his pointy nose in the soft skin of his pubic bone yet, but Seonghwa kind of wanted him to.

When Hongjoong moved to pull off, Seonghwa quickly concentrated again and continued killing. He didn't want to lose this feeling just yet. Hongjoong's mouth was heavenly soft and warm around him.

They fell back in their rhythm of Hongjoong deepthroating him, and Seonghwa gently fucking down his throat while he shot their enemies. Soon, the room had emptied out again due to their incompetence in shooting compared to their martial arts. As soon as the last man went down, Seonghwa dropped his gun on the desk next to them to firmly grab Hongjoong's hair.

"I'm close." He had been too distracted by the fighting to finish earlier, but now his body was keenly aware of how he was standing between Hongjoong's spread legs and had the man's head trapped between the wall and his crotch.

He would be so easy to overpower right now, so easy to restrain and take until he was screaming, but Seonghwa didn't. He was a good citizen, after all, no abusive alpha.

Hongjoong did not move off him still, just slipping back far enough that Seonghwa's knot could expand without hurting him. As much as Seonghwa would love to force it down Hongjoong's throat, he held back.

Instead, he just allowed himself to deliver one last thrust down Hongjoong's pliant throat before feeling his muscles lock up.

Hongjoong patiently took it all, gulping it down like an expert. Seonghwa watched him with another curse on his lips, feeling himself twitch with sensitivity as Hongjoong sucked him clean.

Not a single drop remained on Hongjoong's mouth as he pulled off and licked his lips clean. Neatly, he tucked Seonghwa back into his pants and zipped him up. He left his belt open still as he pushed the taller man back to escape the tight spot.

Seonghwa was still dazed when Hongjoong gave a friendly pat on his chest.

"See you at the tower in twenty."

With that, Hongjoong hopped over the wall of the cubicle and jogged out of the door.

Seonghwa took another minute to catch his breath and collect his thoughts.

Still nineteen left to hunt Hongjoong down.


	10. Found Terada

Hongjoong was doing most of the work, but Seonghwa didn't mind. By the time he hurried up the seemingly endless stairs leading up to the tower Terada had to sit in, his way was already lined with dead or unconscious bodies. Hongjoong was ruthless, leaving nothing behind for Seonghwa to take care of. Seonghwa felt oddly coddled by that treatment, but he could still complain later.

For now, he was just glad to be able to follow. His head had cleared up considerably since Hongjoong's surprise favour, and he was now back to his usual self. Well, as usual as it was since he was still waiting for his rut. 

Seonghwa jumped up the stairs taking two at once as he pursued Hongjoong. By the time he reached the grand double doors at the top, Hongjoong was just pushing down the last guard. Their eyes met with a fierce determination reflecting in each other, then Seonghwa hurried past him and pushed the doors open.

The room was round and had a glass dome for a roof. Its centre was open, letting the cool night air stream in. 

Terada was there too, pacing over the circular edge that led through the room underneath the roof. At the sound of Seonghwa stepping in, he looked up, the fingers around his gun tightening.

Hongjoong sneaked past Seonghwa and behind one of the two grand obelisks decorating the room.

Seonghwa refrained from glaring at Hongjoong, and instead focused on the angry yakuza. He was terrifyingly calm, his posture nearly too relaxed. Cautious, Seonghwa watched out for traps or hidden entrances as he stepped further in. Maybe Terada hadn't seen Hongjoong yet, and he would have a chance to fend off anything coming their way.

"You shouldn't have come here, Mister Park. This is my province, not one of your rotten little tombs," Terada spoke quietly. Seonghwa narrowed his eyes at him.

"Tell me about the amulet, Terada." He had to know something about it. There had to be some secret that they had overlooked, something to make it precious even for the yakuza.

"What about it? What is it that fascinates you, Mister Park?" He resumed walking, slowly pacing left and right. He even took his eyes off Seonghwa, a risky thing to do.

"Let me have a look at it, and I'll tell you," Seonghwa replied cockily. All of his senses were on high alert, checking for unfamiliar scents in the room, and listening for anything on the stairs. Terada might have called for backup already.

"Your persistence will be the death of you. You have disrespected me. You have broken into my house. You have killed my men..." He stopped in his tracks, turning to glare at Seonghwa again. Seonghwa pushed his hair back with his free hand, trying to look innocent. The blood on his suit ruined the look.

"I've simplified your payroll, and now, if you don't mind, I'll streamline your inventory. Are you surprised? This was never your artefact to claim anyway." Seonghwa watched him like a hawk as the man reached into his pocket. What he pulled out was the piece of shimmering metal on a necklace. Immediately, Seonghwa tensed again.

"You speak of this. It is the most prized of my collection." Terada ran his thumb over the surface possessively. Seonghwa tried to ignore the insane glint in his eyes. Treasures could make people like that.

"And why is that?" He was playing for time. He had to know if the man was expecting backup, had to gauge Hongjoong's reactions. It was hard to fight one enemy when the other one was right behind the corner.

"I am fond of recovering objects from dead Englishmen - in this case, one of your damsels. Some have even said the possessor was one of your King Arthur's affiliates. I do not know how the fool came by it, for it is clearly far older than the eleventh century when your people lived in huts of mud." He dangled the piece in front of his face, watching it swing back and forth. His face twisted into an unsettling smile.

Seonghwa rose his brow at him.

"And for this reason, you'd rather die than hand it over," he concluded based solely on the weird reactions the young man had shown. He believed to hear Hongjoong snicker in his corner.

Terada chuckled lowly.

"No, for this one." With that, he suddenly lifted his gun and shot at Seonghwa, aiming right at his head.

Startled, Seonghwa took a long moment to react, nearly getting killed right away.

It was only for the fancy dress shoe that was stained with blood kicking him in the knees that he lived. He went down in exactly the right moment to dodge the bullet while Hongjoong sidestepped him to open fire.

"Oh, you came together? Sweet. I've been told that you aren't quite at the best of health today, Mister Park. Did you need a lackey to ensure your survival? Pathetic. What would the media say?"

"The media would tell you to shut the fuck up because you don't even know who you are facing right now." With that, Hongjoong shot Terada in the shoulder without hesitation. The man cursed, dropping the amulet. However, he had been too far from the edge. He picked it right back up, cradling it against his blood-stained chest. Red was spreading over his white shirt fast.

Seonghwa jumped back on his feet quickly and drove around to the door when he heard a lot of steps come up the stairs.

"It's a trap! We are in a dead-end!" He moved back, more towards Hongjoong as the first men appeared and opened fire right away. Seonghwa immediately fired back.

"You're doing great, sweetie. Distract them for me." With that, Hongjoong's heat left his back as he moved to hunt down Terada, who was, without a doubt, trying to flee again.

Seonghwa wanted to turn and cuss him out, but the yelling enemies took his attention away from him first.

Seonghwa had to blindly trust into not getting hit in the back by a bullet as he tried shooting at all the men at the same time. The struggle behind him was severe, too, Terada's angry yelling notifying Seonghwa of his lack of strength against Hongjoong.

Hongjoong sometimes worried Seonghwa. He had never seen an omega who could fight like that. But then again, most of them just wouldn't dare to because of the stigma and what alphas could do to them.

He didn't want to dig into it further. Hongjoong didn't interest Seonghwa save for how he could get rid of the annoying redhair.

Somewhen into the battle, the noises behind Seonghwa finally quietened down, and the fire of two pistols joined him at his task. Seonghwa had only been brushed by a bullet to his hip so far, but apart from that, he was fine. The yakuza had more losses to mourn.

The last man standing managed to get another hit at Seonghwa. His shot grazed his shoulder intensely, making his arm flare up with pain. He faltered in his fighting for a second, and Hongjoong was the one who had to shoot the man.

"Come on, let's go."

Seonghwa turned to Hongjoong while he put his weapon in its place on his back and moved to press his hand down on the injury on his shoulder.

Hongjoong was about in one piece, and he had ditched Terada's body in a puddle of blood. Now, he was standing in the middle of the room, holding onto a rope ladder that had come through the roof.

Seonghwa blinked, looking up.

Hongjoong's chopper was floating above them, waiting for them to come up.

Curious, Seonghwa cocked his head.

"Me?"

"Do you see anybody else here? Come on, I'll give you a ride." Hongjoong impatiently nodded at him to come over.

"I'd rather not."

San and Hongjoong chided him at the same time.

"There are more coming up right at this moment, you just killed their boss!" San protested loud in his ear, making Seonghwa wince. Hongjoong, too, commented on their nearing scents.

"Stop being difficult. We will take you to our hotel, and you can stay the night and treat your wounds. You can disappear right away in the morning if you want, but I'd feel bad ditching you here after all I did to ensure your survival." Hongjoong rose a brow warningly, reminding Seonghwa of his debt.

Right, he had no room to discuss. 

With a huff, he stepped to the ladder, grabbing onto it. The chopper immediately took off, ascending to carefully get them out of the building. Seonghwa and Hongjoong tiredly climbed up on both sides of the ladder, their muscles losing their strength as the adrenaline began to seep out of them.

"Who told you I won't put a bullet through your head as soon as I can? You've been a pain in the backside all this time."

Hongjoong gave a dry snort before pulling himself up into the chopper that took them over the lit city securely. He didn't pull up Seonghwa, but he managed just fine for himself anyway.

"I doubt that strongly with the taste of your cum still on my tongue. Hey, Jongho," the redhair gleefully greeted the young pilot who just threw a flat look over his shoulder. He smelled of beta, immediately calming Seonghwa down further. Exhausted, he dropped on the seat opposite of Hongjoong, looking out over the night skyline.

"Welcome aboard, Seonghwa."

Seonghwa arched his brow at Hongjoong when he noticed the familiar tone Jongho addressed him with.

"Hey, nice to meet you finally. I only ever saw you from a distance."

Jongho merely chuckled at that before concentrating on his work again.

"He's part of my pack. If you ever come over for tea, you can meet the rest of them too."

At that, Seonghwa pricked his ears. Hongjoong worked together with his pack then, just like Seonghwa did. Did he have a pack alpha? Was he mated by any chance, and that was why Seonghwa couldn't smell him that well? It made perfect sense.

"How many people are you?"

There was so much he didn't know about Hongjoong. He had never bothered to ask as he was too fixed on their rivalry, but now it seemed like a good idea to gather some intel. It might come in useful when he decided to ambush the man in the future.

"Four. Two betas, an omega, and me."

So no alpha. That would explain why Hongjoong lived as risky as he did. 

It also explained why Hongjoong had dropped to his knees so willingly for Seonghwa. He wasn't used to having an alpha around.

It made Seonghwa feel just a little bit more powerful.

"Are you mated?"

The question slipped out without Seonghwa wanting it to, _again_. It seemed like his filter turned off whenever he was confronted with this man. He wanted to hit his own mouth for its stupidity. Quickly, he tried to save himself.

"Not that I care too much. It won't change my opinion on you, I'm just curious. You know, because it is only fair to ask, after all the years. Yes." Nonchalant, he adverted his eyes from Hongjoong again to look out of the open doors. They seemed to be going down already, having reached their goal.

"I'm not," Hongjoong simply answered with an amused chuckle.

Somehow relieved, Seonghwa nodded. Thank God, the man had gone easy on him.

"Are you?"

Suspicious, Seonghwa glanced over to him. The man had leaned forward slightly, the interest in his eyes real. His eyes travelled over Seonghwa's neck, trying to find any signal of a bite, but then again, it could be anywhere.

"...no."

A moment of silence passed between the two of them. Seonghwa would die to know what Hongjoong was thinking at the moment. 

Jongho cleared his throat awkwardly.

"We're nearly there. Do you need me to get anything apart from bandages?"

Mortified, Seonghwa buried his face in his hands. He was having this conversation while Jongho was right there, listening to every word. He was clearly too tired for this.

"Some food would be nice. Seonghwa, what do you want to eat?"

"How about some steak?" Seonghwa muttered into his hands. Hongjoong understood him through some miracle.

"Order us some steak, please. And some cake... Strawberry cake."

Seonghwa narrowed his eyes at Hongjoong. Did he know it was Seonghwa's favourite kind of cake? He couldn't, right? He had to like it himself.

"Will do. Hold onto something, we're going down."


	11. Growing Suspicion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More mild smut towards the end!

Thankfully, Seonghwa and Hongjoong were _not_ roommates. They shared a suite that was connected by a door separating their rooms, but both of them had their own beds. Seonghwa was relieved at hearing this, even if he could not suppress his curiosity towards the other man's scent. His blockers surely would have worn off during the night, and Seonghwa would have been able to get a whiff of him, had he been in the same room.

It made perfect sense for Hongjoong to block it as an unmated omega. His scent could get him a lot of unwanted attention that would pose a risk during his missions. But now, Seonghwa wanted to know what his distinct note was. Was it related to nature? Or to food? Maybe he smelled like some sort of flower, too. Imagining Hongjoong's sweet scent wafting after his savage self made Seonghwa oddly giddy.

But maybe he wouldn't even smell sweet. Maybe his unusual self smelled weird enough to be confused as a beta too. 

Seonghwa was way too busy thinking about the other man while he was in the shower. He blamed it entirely on the blowjob earlier. The ghostly feel of Hongjoong's lips on his skin was still haunting him no matter how well he washed his body. In the end, he physically had to keep himself from imagining it too much.

Seonghwa wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about the topic when he stepped out of the foggy bathroom in only a bathrobe that reached until his knees. 

The bathroom connected to Hongjoong's room, so Seonghwa had to cross it to get into his own. When he found Hongjoong on his bed with a matching white robe to Seonghwa's and his arm lazily thrown over his eyes, Seonghwa hesitated.

There was no use in asking Hongjoong why. His motives had been quite clear. Rather, the question was why he had such motives. He gained nothing from helping Seonghwa.

Seonghwa stood there and stared long enough for Hongjoong to grow impatient with him.

"What is it? Something you need?"

They had eaten in relative silence, and then Hongjoong had taken a shower first before leaving Seonghwa to it. Normally, Seonghwa would now go and lock himself in his room to get some rest. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to move just yet.

His eyes travelled to the bag on Hongjoong's nightstand. He could see the bag he had seen Hongjoong put the piece of the amulet in.

Seonghwa pulled the towel he had been drying his hair with off his head to lay it around his neck comfortably.

"Thanks for... Helping me out earlier. That was unexpectedly nice of you."

An amused smirk painted Hongjoong's lips where his face was not hidden by his arm. 

"You're welcome. I wanted to taste you for a long time. Maybe I took advantage of your situation just a little."

That was surprising. Seonghwa had survived through his fair share of thirsting after his enemy too - which was a given, considering their situation and Hongjoong's looks - but he hadn't expected Hongjoong's advances to be more than just flirting either.

Moreover, he had interpreted even that flirting as a means to catch Seonghwa off guard so far.

"You did?" Seonghwa raised a dark brow at him when Hongjoong shifted his arm up further to look at him. His dark eyes seemed disbelieving.

"Of course. How often do I get an aroused and flushed Seonghwa Park trembling for me? I know enough people who would die to be in my position earlier," he smirked attractively, making Seonghwa's heart skip a beat.

This was dangerous; Hongjoong was dangerous. He laid sprawled out here on this big bed with the robe wrapped loosely around him, showing off most of his chest and a smooth thigh. Seonghwa had to keep himself from staring at the few tattoos he could spot on the man's skin too intently.

Seonghwa laughed nervously.

They had never been like this. There had never been a moment in which they had been alone, vulnerable like this, and without weapons strapped to their bodies. They were used to meeting in dusty tombs that were lined with dead people. Not in big hotel rooms that had soft orange light shining down on them and inviting beds that had enough space for both of them.

Seonghwa was afraid he might do something stupid. He had to remind himself that Hongjoong had only been interested in that moment, only wanted to take advantage of Seonghwa's weakness. Seonghwa had no logical explanation of why he wanted the other man to wrap his legs around his hips.

"Was it what you expected?" Seonghwa stepped up to the bed slowly, trying to keep his face schooled in a neutral and curious expression.

If he managed to distract Hongjoong, he might be able to steal the artefact from him. He just had to make the man fall for his trap. He could use their weird sexual tension to his 

"I didn't get to taste your knot. You don't want me to make assumptions based on missing information, right?" His voice was challenging, its tired edge making it sound husky and inviting. Seonghwa was not sure if this was going to be an advance.

Seonghwa kept quiet, waiting for Hongjoong to speak again. He was not going to risk this perfect moment to steal his amulet piece back by listening to his dick. However, some uncertainty must have shown on his face, for Hongjoong quickly waved his hand.

"Don't worry, I won't jump you. I'm aware of us being enemies still. Just make sure to get home safely and spend your rut with your pack. I'll give you a call when we've found the next piece." With that, he closed his eyes again comfortably and settled back against his pillows.

Curious, Seonghwa cocked his head.

"If your words are true and you are indeed fantasizing about me... As an enemy, wouldn't you take advantage of that?"

Hongjoong cracked one of his eyes back open, looking Seonghwa up and down. His hair was still wet, and all spray colour had washed out, leaving it to fan around him like a red halo.

"I'm no rapist, no matter how annoying my rival is. And I sure hope you aren't either."

Seonghwa mulled the words over in his head. Right, it was fair for Hongjoong to think like this. Even when he, as a fertile omega, suffered more under possible rape than Seonghwa ever could. If he went into heat, nobody around him would be able to easily ignore him, since most of their enemies were usually alphas. Their drive to breed omegas in heat was too animalistic to withstand mostly.

Well, but anybody could if they tried. Seonghwa knew he could. Because Seonghwa had an omega, who was precious to him, whom he cared for. 

"I'm not."

"Good. Now tell me, Seonghwa, what to do you think about getting knotted?" Hongjoong pushed himself up on his arms, grinning broadly. Red locks of hair fell into his eyes.

Seonghwa blinked before crossing his arms in front of his chest slowly.

"Getting knotted? I'm an alpha, I have no opinion on this. I don't think it's... possible?"

Hongjoong shook his head with a disappointed noise, sliding over the bed closer to Seonghwa. He threw his legs over the edge casually and reached out to pull Seonghwa in by his thighs before he could react. Surprised, he stepped closer, allowing Hongjoong to nuzzle against his hip. Seonghwa's heart rate picked up at the man's closeness, his alpha very much satisfied with standing above the other man again.

"Ah, the good, conservative boy. Have you never once wondered about it? How it would feel to have somebody stuff you full of their cum? To be locked up for at least half an hour to their body? Never?" 

Pondering, Seonghwa looked from the bag on the nightstand back to Hongjoong, who so obviously desired him.

And Seonghwa did, too. He didn't like the guy, and he would deny looking at him always, but it was not as if he was not attractive. Seonghwa was far too curious to break his shell and see what was underneath his tough exterior to just overlook the tension between them.

And here Hongjoong was, offering himself. And asking weird questions.

"No, why would I? Don't get me wrong, my pack is made of males, I get the thought, but as an alpha, why would I want that? It's far less pleasurable for me than a beta or omega, not so say painful."

"So I take it you've let other people fuck you, but never knot you?" Hongjoong's fingers deftly undid the belt holding Seonghwa's robe closed, sliding it open. His fingers immediately skimmed over the naked skin of Seonghwa's hips, mapping his body out.

It was ridiculous. Them being here, dead exhausted, and having this conversation. Hongjoong mouthing over Seonghwa's hipbone was ridiculous, and it was even more ridiculous how Seonghwa dropped his hand to the other man's nape, feeling up his short hair. 

"Right... The other alpha I have at home also never brought it up, anyway." Seonghwa felt his body heat up at the sight of Hongjoong mouthing up the side of his limp length, a low hum escaping his throat. 

"Yet, you would look so good like that. Fucked out and twitching around a knot. Imagine yourself in the role of your omega after your pack helped him through the first day of his heat," Hongjoong murmured against his skin, basking in Seonghwa's undeniably delicious scent. Seonghwa nearly cooed at him when he brought his hands up to help Seonghwa get fully hard, not managing to wrap his fingers all the way around Seonghwa.

"What an odd thing to say, as an omega. Do you fantasize about knotting someone?" Seonghwa ran his fingers over Hongjoong's scent gland, making the other man shiver in his hold.

"Maybe I do." Hongjoong stopped kissing around the base where Seonghwa's knot would soon form and instead moved up to the man's tip, taking it in his warm mouth.

Seonghwa sighed when Hongjoong sunk deeper right away and used his dexterous tongue to make Seonghwa's legs weak within a few minutes. Hongjoong certainly knew what he was doing, leaving his throat open and inviting for Seonghwa to again slightly thrust his hips down it.

"Are you sure you can take this? I'm not sure if your throat is up for that." Seonghwa knew that Yeosang could take him. But even as an omega, he had struggled. His mouth was not designed to take a knot. Neither was Hongjoong's. As a pack alpha, Seonghwa immediately grew worried.

Hongjoong, however, just glared at him defiantly. He didn't mind Seonghwa any further then, just opening up wider as he tried to close his mouth around Seonghwa's considerably big knot. He had to stretch his lips obscenely wide as he decided to take the hard bulb, his throat fluttering around Seonghwa's tip which was far down his throat.

With curses slipping from Seonghwa's lips, and fresh sweat appearing on his forehead, he reached around Hongjoong's neck, feeling it bulge around him. 

"Hnngh- Hongjoong, stop, wait-" It was too much. Tears clouded the man's stubborn eyes as he failed at breathing and taking Seonghwa at the same time. He seemed incredibly frustrated, and by the looks of it, he would hurt himself trying to make up for it.

Seonghwa had to physically push him further away, his chest rising and falling rapidly with every breath he took.

Hongjoong let him, not trying anymore, but still stubbornly sucking Seonghwa as if it was his last day on earth. He made Seonghwa far too weak, his scent filling the air so much he nearly choked on it himself. He wanted to reach down and help Hongjoong out also, but the heat soon became too much to bear.

The itchiness had taken over completely, making Seonghwa restless and his movements erratic. The need to push Hongjoong down and take him in any way possible overpowered him quickly, exiling most other thoughts out of his head.

He had finally gone into rut.

Mindful of his roughness, he tried to hold back. He dug his fingers into Hongjoong's shoulders to keep himself from grabbing his head forcefully. He knew that his thrusts were just a tad too rough for a throat to take, but Hongjoong didn't mind him. He took it well, and warmed Seonghwa's quickly swelling knot with his hands, too. He gave his best, and Seonghwa appreciated it.

When he finally came, his knot once again brushed against Hongjoong's lips, pulsing against them as he filled Hongjoong's throat with hot come.

This time, it was too much for him. He had to pull off about halfway through Seonghwa's prolonged orgasm to cough, getting his face and neck full of white stickiness.

It was incredibly nasty, and typically Seonghwa would have rushed to get something to clean up, but now, he was just futilely grabbing at Hongjoong again.

However, the other man escaped his grasp. He hurried to scramble over the bed, grabbing the bag. His voice was rough and sounded sore as he spoke.

"Nope. As I said, your pack. From now on, I don't have enough consent from you. I'm gonna use the other room, as I can lock that one. Good night, Seonghwa." With that, he fled, leaving Seonghwa to spent the night overheated and with a pillow between his legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can guess some of you are confused about the whole knotting thing  
> For those people; Only Alphas have a knot and it is used to keep the semen inside their partners after sex to ensure their pregnancy. Meaning that until the knot has deflated, no movement is possible to avoid breaking something because it's really big and absolutely can't get pulled out without ripping the person open. So using it orally is a very stupid idea because you might suffocate the person until it's safe to remove. Also, as alphas don't produce their own slick - as opposed to omegas and betas - taking it would be a huge hassle because of the prep.  
> So the basic rules are to only knot betas and omegas and also not to knot mouths because no.


	12. A Break

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut after the second timeskip

Hongjoong watched Seonghwa from a save distance as he swung his leg over his bike and turned the key in the lock. He would not keep Seonghwa from going; of course, he wouldn't. Seonghwa was surprised even to see him down here.

Jongho had been so kind as to get Seonghwa's bike in the evening before from Yongguk. According to the young pilot, the other man had been fine and not bothered further by Terada's men. He warned them of possible future attacks, though. The yakuza had a net that was deeper than just Terada, and with his death, they would be out for blood at all times.

San had been worried at the news of Terada and Seonghwa's rut triggering - even if Seonghwa hadn't told him that Hongjoong had been the reason. He had asked Seonghwa to come right back home, and Seonghwa saw no need to argue with that.

"Are you sure you don't want Jongho to take you to the airport?"

Seonghwa shook his head, slipping a mask over his heated face. It would ease any scent that might hit him out on the streets. He tended to get overwhelmed by multiple smells penetrating his nose quickly during his rut, so he wanted to avoid the headache right away.

"I can manage. Don't you dare go anywhere without me." Seonghwa glanced at the man with cautious eyes, looking him up and down. The other man was relaxed, seeming far too composed for having an aroused alpha so close to him. He withstood far better than anybody else Seonghwa knew, especially within omegas.

Seonghwa didn't understand him. Why did he decide to do Seonghwa so many favours? He had no business at all being so concerned.

Well, aside from Seonghwa's parts of the artefact. It was only useful as a whole piece anyway.

"I'd rather say you are the one we need to worry about. Don't be late for our next meeting. I'll have to reach out to your team if you do to send you some soup," Hongjoong smirked mockingly. He had wrapped his arms around his robe like some housewive who sends her husband off for work, and it infuriated Seonghwa.

Rolling his eyes, Seonghwa put on his helmet.

"See you." With that, he left Hongjoong behind in Japan to spend his rut with his pack.

-

"He asked you what?!"

Confused, Seonghwa blinked at San. At his glare, the man immediately quietened down a bit, sneaking a glance at Yeosang, who was napping in between the two of them.

"Can you spell that out for me?" San repeated himself a bit quieter, but his expression stayed disbelieving.

Seonghwa laid down on the crook of his arm with a sigh and breathed in the sweet smell of strawberries that came from Yeosang's hair. The man was utterly still in his sleep, but he was holding one of San's hands cradled to his chest unconsciously. San had by now stopped complaining about his shoulder falling asleep and accepted his fate.

"He asked me if I ever considered getting knotted by an alpha. I know it was weird, man, that's why I'm asking. What the hell was he talking about?"

"Not gonna lie, that sounds like he wants to fuck you. But uh- the knotting part..." San drew his brows together, his lips settling in a pensive pout. The one blonde strand in his dark hair slipped over his forehead.

Seonghwa chuckled nervously while he gently kissed over Yeosang's pack bites. The man stirred slightly in his sleep, pushing back his hips towards Seonghwa, where he was still nestled inside of the other man.

"Maybe he was bored of bottoming. Or he has some weird kink to put alphas in submissive positions," Seonghwa guessed weakly, but having his suspicions confirmed made him all woozy inside too. So Hongjoong did have that kind of interest in him, he did not read that wrong. It explained why Hongjoong had been so willing to drop to his knees for him, but then again, Seonghwa was a highly attractive alpha, too, he was aware.

"This is so weird. Is-" San suspiciously caught Seonghwa's eyes again.

"Is this related to you coming home from him with your rut full-on raging? It is, right? What did you bastards do, in what possible situation would you have this kind of conversation?"

Damn, San could read him far too quickly.

Seonghwa hid his face further in Yeosang's neck, pulling his limp form slightly closer to his chest so he could snuggle into his smaller body. He rubbed his scent all over the other man, feeling possessive as always during his rut.

"It's not that bad. It was bound to come to such talk after what he did in that office," Seonghwa tried to worm his way out of the jam he had gotten himself into. San was too keen on him, too aware of things didn't know himself.

"I see. I mean... It was kinda hot. Even if you looked at your enemies way too much."

Seonghwa winked at him with a chuckle. His fighting kink usually provided San with video material worthy of being porn of Seonghwa only, but apparently, the man didn't mind a slight change of views either.

"That question is still weird, though. Like there's enough people with a kink to breed alphas too, despite knowing it's not possible, but I've never heard about alpha knotting before. Guess it's some kind of dom thing. The hell is Hongjoong doing with that?" San dropped his head back on his pillow, pondering.

Seonghwa shrugged with the shoulder he was not laying on, reaching down, then to gently spread Yeosang's cheeks apart. His knot was still firmly lodged inside, making sure not a single drop of his seed went to waste. With his fingers smoothing over Yeosang's soft flesh, Seonghwa concentrated on their conversation again.

"You know what, sleep for a while. Your body needs to replenish its energies. And don't forget your water. I will do some more digging on Kim and try to find out his dirty secrets. Who knows, maybe he's the kind of omega who actually doesn't submit to anybody and rather fucks alphas instead. It would fit him." San rolled out of bed with a motivated huff. When Yeosang whined at the sudden loss of warmth, San bent down, giggling to shut him up with a kiss.

Yeosang was sated after that, so San just gave a lazy salute towards Seonghwa before strutting out of the room in only his birthday suit. Seonghwa counted the seconds until a surprised shriek came that was responded by a dark chuckle from San. A sloppy kiss was exchanged in the hallway that Seonghwa could hear all the way to his bed, and he was close to yelling at them, but he didn't want to wake the blond angel in his arms.

Instead, he settled down with a content hum, feeling secure in the room that smelled like his pack. Yeosang's warm body was a welcoming pillow for him to cuddle as he soon after fell asleep.

-

"Seonghwa." A careful knock sounded on the door, making the man in question stir. He felt good, and his body heat had returned to normal after the three days of horrible itchiness and fever. However, when he shifted, he pulled a helpless moan out of Yeosang, who was still nestled against him like the good boy he was.

Immediately, Seonghwa placed a soothing hand on the man's hip, massaging his warm flesh.

Yunho was standing in the door, hesitating to step in.

"What is it?" Seonghwa groggily murmured at him as he rubbed his eyes, trying to get the sleep out of them.

"There's a call for you."

Sighing, Seonghwa twisted away from Yeosang. The man replied with another throaty hum. He obviously had been awake for a long time now, judging by the way he ground back on Seonghwa desperately.

Seonghwa moved his hand from Yeosang's hip to hold it out for the phone. Yunho quickly brought it over and stepped out right after. Judging by his attire, he had a pool party with San scheduled.

Seonghwa brought the phone to his ear while he rolled Yeosang around and onto his stomach. The man complied readily, hugging his pillow close when Seonghwa began to gently thrust down into him. As usual, the omega felt heavenly soft around him, made for taking Seonghwa.

"Who is this?" Seonghwa huskily asked into the phone while grabbing onto Yeosang's pale and unmarked hips with his right hand to leave a fresh imprint.

A long silence followed.

Seonghwa just moved to pull the phone down to check if the caller had given up on him already when a breathless chuckle responded.

"Not gonna lie, you sound lowkey hot in the morning. How are you, Daddy?"

Hongjoong, of course. Seonghwa gave a scoff.

"I'm great, thanks. Where did you get this number?" He concentrated on Hongjoong's voice while deeply thrusting into Yeosang with no hurry at all. His slick insides eased the work considerably, and his soft moans must have travelled to Hongjoong, too, for he gave another giggle.

"Your boy, what was his name, San? He kind of cam-fucked Wooyoung yesterday and gave out your number quite willingly. Are you trying to infiltrate my pack, Park?"

Seonghwa rolled his eyes, imagining he had Hongjoong underneath him as he delivered a particularly harsh thrust. Yeosang's keen filled the room, the thickening scent of his arousal exciting Seonghwa further.

"That idiot. I'll tell him to leave your pack alone." Seonghwa hated having to play polite with the other man. He literally couldn't care less about the other man's people. And how the hell had San even gotten into Hongjoong's line?

"I appreciate it. Who makes those lovely sounds in the background? Your omega?"

Seonghwa considered showing Yeosang off and holding the phone to the man's lips for just a few seconds, but then he didn't. His Yeosang.

"Yes, now you leave my pack alone, too, please."

Hongjoong gave an agreeable hum.

"I'm just curious what he's doing. I didn't get to witness your hip game. Quite sad about that. I've been thinking of you having your rut over there quite a lot. Did you get well by now?" He said it so innocently as if he wasn't implying anything at all. The invitation was blatantly obvious, and Seonghwa found himself fucking into Yeosang faster, getting rid of any excess stress. Yeosang pushed back against him willingly, sweet sounds tumbling out of his mouth at every snap of Seonghwa's hips.

"Leave it. I'm back on my game, Kim. I won't let you have your way again."

"Hmm, maybe it's time for you to have your way with me then? Oh, but you claim not to be interested, right? Yet, you seem so frustrated around me." His chuckle sent a zap of arousal straight into Seonghwa's groin, making him shudder for a moment. When he picked up the pace the next time, he was chasing after his orgasm already.

His hand sneaked around Yeosang to help him out, both of their breathing patterns irregular.

"How bold of you to assume I wouldn't rip your throat out as soon as I have you in that position. You're too confident, don't get cocky."

"Yet, here you are, talking to me, rather than taking care of your omega first."

Seonghwa moved to end the call, trying to hold back until Hongjoong was gone. However, the man quickly continued speaking as if he had foreseen that.

"Anyways, I didn't plan to listen to your morning workout routine when I called. We found the next piece of the amulet in Ghana. Are you up for a race, or shall I wait another day until your old bones have recovered from your strenuous activities?" He was mocking him again. With a muffled groan, Seonghwa pushed in deep enough for his knot to brush Yeosang's already loose and reddened rim.

Yeosang came in the exact moment that Seonghwa roughly forced his knot inside, tightening around the other male with a high-pitched yell.

"Fuck... See you in Ghana, Kim." With that, he ended the call and threw the phone somewhere on the bed, letting his orgasm wash over him. He had to hold Yeosang down to keep him from trashing. Both of them trembled with aftershocks for about two minutes, unable to speak.

And then, it was Yeosang who began.

He pushed his sweaty hair out of his face as he turned his head towards Seonghwa. The alpha didn't dare move yet, afraid to make Yeosang uncomfortable. Instead, he just knelt above him and looked down on him with dark eyes.

"Listen, you need to fuck Hongjoong."

Seonghwa's mouth dropped open at the sudden betrayal and vulgar speech. Hell, Yeosang was always vulgar, but he looked so lovely and sweet, he forever took them by surprise.

"Why? I don't want to."

"This right now? You didn't fuck me; you fucked him. And boy, you have a lot of pent-up frustration to get rid of."

Huffing, Seonghwa turned his head away.

As if.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you skipped the smut; Hongjoong invited Seonghwa for another treasure hunt in Ghana


	13. Postcard Business

"Any news from Kim?" Seonghwa swung his leg over his bike and pulled his helmet off to put it securely into the back compartment. He made sure to put his keys into his bag before swinging his shotgun over his shoulder and starting his trek through the jungle.

He was in the heart of a tropical forest that was lively with vibrant greens and animals of all kinds. In the distance, he could hear the rushing of a large waterfall. Nature was untouched by civilisation here, and just grew and sprouted however it wanted. Some old paths had been stomped into the earth by ancient tribes long forgotten. It was healing to walk through the forest.

"Nothing new, but he's around there somewhere. Left a door open for you according to the drone. Such a gentleman," San giggled into the comm, tapping right away on his keyboard. From the sounds of it, he also had some jelly to munch on. Seonghwa hadn't called him out about Wooyoung yet, but he reminded himself to do it right away once he came home.

Right now, he didn't want to go home. His pack had ganged up against him and was trying to get him into Hongjoong's pants. He certainly didn't need that chaos in his life right now.

Seonghwa regretted wearing his long green pants and combat boots as he ducked under a large leaf and stepped out into a little clearing. He had found the waterfalls that plunged into the large lake below, taking up nearly all of the cliffs. There was some island underneath they largely avoided, probably where the entrance was too.

As Seonghwa pulled out his binoculars, a flock of white birds took off from some tree nearby, reminding him of Peru.

Sweat seeped into his black tank top from how humid the air was as he knelt down to safely overlook the scenery without falling off his cliff.

"If all else fails, I can get into the postcard business." He looked out over the clear blue sky and the tons of water falling down several dozens of meters. He'd have to get down there.

As he swiped the area, he also noticed a hidden black jeep on the cliff opposite of his side of the crater. They had parked behind some trees, and were loading boxes down the waterfall. They were probably not Hongjoong's men again and rather annoying in Seonghwa's opinion.

"Oh, now look at the little termites mucking it all up. That won't do at all." Seonghwa zoomed in on them and pursed his lips when he saw them accidentally drop one of the crates they were moving down. The water destroyed it immediately, leaving nothing behind.

"Looks like they didn't get in from this side. Any ideas?"

Seonghwa put his binoculars away with a sigh and stood to his full height. Idly, he slapped at a mosquito on his arm.

"We'll see. I do my best thinking plunging off cliffs."

With that, he ensured that his gun was strapped safely to his body and took a few steps back to gain enough distance to speed up.

San made a choked up noise, scrambling to be busy enough to look away as Seonghwa ran forward.

Seonghwa jumped with perfect form. He stretched out his arms behind him as he was falling through the air that ruffled his hair and made his stomach feel funny. As he descended further down, he pulled those arms forward, diving into the water with his fingertips first and his body following in a straight line.

The water was clear and cool, doing wonders in washing his excess sweat off. He had barely even arrived and was already a mess. Hongjoong probably wasn't wearing his catsuit today either. It was far too hot for black leather. Of course, that didn't disappoint Seonghwa.

Seonghwa swam over to the island with quick and powerful movements, pulling himself on land. Indeed, there was a stone bridge right in front of him, leading into the waterfall. It parted around the dark entrance, falling down left and right of the open gate.

Seonghwa jogged over fearlessly and stepped onto the slippery stone to get inside. He would like to find Hongjoong and the artefact first before having to fight all of those henchmen from the Japanese mafia.

Seonghwa crossed behind the waterfall fearlessly. The rushing noise was deafening, and the light considerably dimmed as he stepped further towards the doors.

He was looking over the giant temple that took over literally the mountain and led inside God knows how deep for a moment, noticing the many old pillars and caryatids that were covered by green mosses and the shadow of time.

"Spotted the temple," San commented dryly in his ear, munching away on some snacks immediately after. Seonghwa grinned to himself. He was happy with these new findings, even if he would have preferred exploring it on his own.

"Grand entrances are always impractical. It's what makes them grand." He was just about to step into the welcoming door that reeked of mould and decay when a voice to his right held him back.

"Park! Did you have a nice journey?"

There he was.

Seonghwa immediately whipped his weapon out and pointed it at the red-haired devil, only to falter when he saw him.

He still wore that stupid catsuit. Or rather, a short version of it. The black latex reached until his mid-thigh - glorious thighs, and Seonghwa was not staring at all - and hugged his body tightly. It showcased all of his curves and the tattoo on his right forearm as its sleeves were short too.

The worst thing was that it was mostly open at the front. Hongjoong had zipped it open down until his belly button, and his defined chest and pecs made an appearance. Seonghwa loathed all of the skin he saw and how the man's weapon's belt framed his crotch and hugged his thighs.

Hongjoong cutely waved a hand at him. He was wearing fingerless gloves today, clearly ready to pull a few triggers on his shiny pistols that hung on his hips.

Seonghwa's weapon had considerably sunken during the time he had been staring, but thankfully he was far enough that it was not too noticeable. Stupid Hongjoong and his red hair that stood out like a sore thumb.

Seonghwa played it cool.

"Oh look, it's Kim. Fancy dropping down for a chat, then?"

Hongjoong stood on a platform far away from him and further up in the temple already. He seemed to have waited in a safe distance for Seonghwa to pass through.

"Only if you can shoot this far," Hongjoong smiled broadly as he lifted his empty hands.

So he had probably not found the amulet piece so far. That was good. There was still time.

"You know long-distance relationships inevitably come to an end." Seonghwa put his weapon away again because, indeed, he could not shoot that far. Hongjoong had predicted him well again.

Seonghwa pretended his eyes didn't drop when Hongjoong lifted one leg to stem it onto a rock in front. His laughter was gleeful and clearly enthusiastic to see Seonghwa here.

"Right, we just have to close that distance. If you can catch up, of course."

Seonghwa stemmed his hands in his hips, looking up at the man with a patient smirk curling his lips. He was done with Hongjoong playing with him. He would play right back.

"Do I need to do that, though, or will you wait for me anyway because you just can't seem to avoid me? How is it that after dodging each other for years, suddenly you are so attracted to me?" Seonghwa yelled back, satisfied when Hongjoong laughed again before stepping down.

"Come and find out. I want to fight you today."

Seonghwa rose his brow at him despite knowing he would not be able to see due to the distance.

"Do you, now? Let's battle it out then."

"Come and catch me, Fledgeling." With that, he disappeared between the stone structures and left Seonghwa to it.

Balling his hand into a fist, Seonghwa turned back to doing his work. Hongjoong had used that old nickname again.

He had called Seonghwa that on their first-ever meeting. When Hongjoong took off after laughing at their faces. 'Virgin Fledgling' he had called a very confident (and virgin) Seonghwa and ran.

Seonghwa was still bitter about it because, at that time, it had shattered all of his carefully build confidence. But by now, it was clear that Hongjoong had been none the better at that time. And Seonghwa had sworn to show Hongjoong that he was neither anymore.

"I mean... If you fucked each other, he wouldn't call you a virgin for sure," San supplied helpfully while Seonghwa stepped into the temple and down the first flight of asymmetrical stairs.

"If I fuck him, he will shut up completely. Now leave me alone."

"I'll only leave you alone when that if turns into a when."

Despite the threat, San became very quiet when Seonghwa warningly hovered his finger over his headset.

Seonghwa finally moved in peacefully.

The narrow halls insides were dripping with water, and as it seemed, he would have to swim through some flooded parts from time to time. Still, he sometimes took breaks to decipher the ancient writings on the walls or take some pictures with his PDA.

Maybe he stalled meeting Hongjoong just a bit now that he knew the man was waiting for him anyway. What was the use of becoming impatient? Seonghwa didn't want to seem too desperate to meet the other man.

His greatest worry at the moment was the traps inside of the temple. There was anything, from hidden trapdoors, over falling beams, spears that tried to impale him when he stepped on certain spots to a full-blown truck-sized ball that came rolling at him when he innocently tried to walk down a corridor.

It took him hours to get to the spot where Hongjoong had been, and by the time he did, he was marred with minor injuries and dirt from his many jumping and rolling adventures.

He took a break outside and looked out over the waterfalls while he snacked his lunch.

These ruins probably dated back to pre-Incan times, too, leaving Seonghwa to wonder again about what Terada had said about King Artus. Where was the connection? Seonghwa had no time to take samples of these surroundings, but he was sure it had nothing to do with his ancestors either.

"Get moving. Hongjoong found the amulet piece. He's waiting for you further up. Sneaked past the yakuza successfully."

With a sigh, Seonghwa rose and dusted his pants off. He would deny how excitedly his heart was beating away in his chest at the mention of the other man. Their upcoming fight made a ball of gleeful anticipation curl in Seonghwa's belly that he just knew would morph into lust far too quickly.

But then again, he wouldn't mind it all that much. He kind of saw the point by now; he was just too prideful to admit it. Doing the dirty with Hongjoong would be similar to losing in Seonghwa's eyes. If he succumbed to the appeal of his rival, then the other man won, no matter who had which position or gender.

The only possible way to have this go down in Seonghwa's favour was to make sure the omega completely submitted to him. And something told Seonghwathat wouldn't be as easy as he made it sound. Hongjoong had played him like a doll on strings so far, distracting him whenever and pushing Seonghwa's defences down.

He had to formulate a plan. Maybe putting Hongjoong into his place would actually be a good idea. As long as he lost that brattiness, Seonghwa might get over him.

They were weird rivals.

"Did you fall asleep?" San chided him amusedly. Seonghwa wanted to kick the man so bad.

"No, I didn't. Tell me again why I have you as my spokesperson? I want Yunho back."

San giggled gleefully, and Seonghwa melted at the imagination of his dimples making an appearance while his eyes formed little crescent moons.

He could forgive the man for his cockiness.

"You got me because I just found out that the person I video-fucked yesterday is Hongjoong's brother. And he's very engrossed with me," he sing-songed teasingly. Seonghwa jumped up a boulder, slightly surprised.

"Gross. But good work, actually. Can you get some info out of him?" Seonghwa boldly leapt onto a hanging vine to swing over to the other platform, taking a shortcut.

"I'm on it. Would be easier if I could breed him on the side."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes. It made sense for San to be whipped for Hongjoong's omega brother. That meant that the last man, the one who checked on Hongjoong, was the last beta in the pack.

Seonghwa felt a bit more elevated by that news as he resumed his journey.


	14. Fair and Square

Seonghwa was in no hurry, and neither did he try to be subtle. He didn't take the long route, rather barging in right into the hall those mercenaries were waiting in.

Within three seconds, there were about fifteen guns pointed right at him.

Seonghwa gave the assembled gentlemen a charming smile before pulling his own gun on them.

The location of the fight was entertaining. There was a stream running through the room that came in from the waterfalls from the left and fell onto a water wheel that turned slowly. The stream then crossed the large place over to another wheel that stood icily still. It was probably supposed to budge too, but it stayed where it was stubbornly.

The men had put two metal grids over the stream so they could cross it easily, and Seonghwa used that to his advantage. He stayed hidden behind some broken column while he shot them down on those grids, making sure they were not able to cross over. Their bodies piled on the grids and the surrounding stream, making it hard for others to follow up.

Seonghwa had some trouble with the more collected guys that stayed strategically hidden behind some crates. He had to come out of his hiding spot several times to shoot at them, making himself vulnerable. Thankfully, he did not get hurt any further. The crate problem was solved quickly too when one of the men decided to throw a grenade at Seonghwa that bounced off somewhere and came right back at them.

Seonghwa left the mess at it was and reloaded his gun before fleeing. He dusted his pants off before stepping over another trap.

His way led him through multiple more danger-filled corridors and out again where he shot the rest of those yakuza down that seemed to just have been trying to catch up with Hongjoong. He was quite confident to have gotten all of them, continuing on his path.

However, as he was walking over a sizeable hanging bridge leading over a part of the waterfalls, a sudden shot snapped through the ropes holding it up on the ceiling, nearly making him fall to his death. For a second, it was just Seonghwa, his still heart, and death by water.

In the last moment, he managed to hold onto the snapping ropes, though. He quickly swung over via those remains and landed safely on the other side. Somewhere, a bird screeched when he shot the hidden man in the face.

Seonghwa rested for a bit before going further. From what San had seen the number of men he had shot matched the number of people who had come in, meaning he should be alone now. After he finished patching up his wounds, Seonghwa went to walk the last few rooms over to where Hongjoong had to be waiting.

It seemed like a funny coincidence that Wooyoung had shared Hongjoong's location with them today. Not as if Hongjoong would be surprised by Seonghwa approaching.

"I'll ask you to kindly shut off the video and audio for the next few hours. If there's a problem, I'll press the button." Seonghwa hung onto the edge of a broken staircase, pulling himself up. His arms had had enough of adventure for today, but he reminded himself he still had to fight a bratty omega.

He didn't even walk up seven steps. when something suddenly clicked under his feet.

With a roll of his eyes, Seonghwa jumped down the staircase again, landing on his left knee and catching his body with his hands.

Another huge fucking ball rolled at him from the top of the stairs; it would have squashed him with no way of stopping had he not dodged it.

Again, Seonghwa dusted his clothes off and straightened his backpack.

"You didn't press the button, I'm offended," San pouted in his ear as Seonghwa jumped up the staircase another time in the hopes of not triggering another ball.

"I still hear you breathing in your mic, idiot. Now shush. I don't want you to see this." He was not sure what would happen during that fight, and he didn't want to out himself just yet.

"What are you planning to do, hm? You wanna bang him in that sacred temple? Not that I would be surprised if you did." San cheerfully greeted Yunho right after his crude words, his voice all cutesy.

Seonghwa jogged up the stairs and to the heavy ornate double stone doors in the middle of the T staircase. He didn't bother to knock as he swung open the right one with a horrible grinding noise, and got a full view of Hongjong sitting on the ground crosslegged, obviously waiting for him. Upon laying eyes on Seonghwa, he grinned impishly and waved with his thumb tucked towards his hand.

God, he was annoying.

"Oh la la, doesn't he look delectable right now?"

"San, I swear to God."

With a giggle, San actually cut the line, making silence spread in Seonghwa's ear. He sighed, relieved, but he left the comm in any way. With a quick scan of the room, Seonghwa found it devoid of anything. It was just a big, round room without any obstacles inside. It wasn't too grand either, perfect to fight in unbothered.

Seonghwa neatly closed the door behind him and put his backpack down next to the door, setting the weapon down, too. He wouldn't fight Hongjoong with bullets.

As he turned around again, he caught Hongjoong checking his legs out, his eyes quickly flickering back up to his face at his sudden movement. He smiled innocently when he met Seonghwa's narrowed eyes, playing the angel.

"Congrats on getting here. I made sure to leave you some traps to figure out so you wouldn't get bored." His voice had that teasing tilt again, but he bravely stayed seated where he was - also without his weapons - as Seonghwa closed in on him. Now, finally, he could Hongjoong show his true colours, his very not lame self.

"You got the piece?" Seonghwa smoothly came straight to the point. Hongjoong gave an approving hum before he lifted his small fist with the piece inside. He showed it to Seonghwa, the light falling in from above making it seem an even darker grey than it usually was.

"It's your lucky day. You may gain it if you beat me."

Seonghwa grit his teeth as he stepped in even closer, making Hongjoong sit up straight finally. He was barely two steps apart from Hongjoong now, and their once loud voices had simmered down to hissing. It felt oddly intimate.

"Hand it over."

"Come and get it, tiger." With that, Hongjoong pushed his hand down his opened suit, letting the piece disappear in his clothed crotch area. He leaned back then with a cheeky smirk, both of his brows rising challenging.

Seonghwa's mouth had dropped open in shock. What the hell was the man doing?

Suddenly, he desperately wished to have San back to get help.

After staring at Hongjoong for a long time only, Soenghwa awkwardly cleared his throat. Despite him having faltered in his steps, Hongjoong was still observing him with a patient calmness. He seemed confident in his sudden trick, and he wasn't going to change it either.

Seonghwa went down on one knee, his eyes fixed on the man's crotch. Hongjoong was still relaxed, still sitting leaned back on his hands, but there was no way Seonghwa would just shove his hand down the man's pants like that.

Not as if Hongjoong would have let him, either.

The moment Seonghwa knelt, his behaviour changed as if someone had flipped a switch inside of him. His arms suddenly moved forward to grasp at Seonghwa's hips to try and push him down on the ground.

Rather than the sudden attack, it was more the surprising strength Hongjoong put into it. It actually caught Seonghwa by surprise, and his ankle twisted underneath his body from the sudden added weight. With a surprised yell, Seonghwa went down with Hongjoong following right up.

Alright, Seonghwa had imagined something more akin to actual wrestling when he came here, but this worked too. The only problem was that now, while Hongjoong tried to restrain his hands and Seonghwa tried to snatch the other man's wrists, Hongjoong was sitting right on his crotch area and the outline of the amulet piece and also other things were very apparent under his suit.

Seonghwa was mildly distracted, but that, of course, was part of Hongjoong's tactics, too.

In the end, it was Hongjoong's chuckle that pulled him out of his trance. Only then did he look up at the man who was kneeling above his relatively still body triumphantly, his red hair hanging tousled into his forehead.

"What is it? You worried about hurting me?"

Seonghwa was grabbing at his arms only, but his whole other body did not move despite being perfectly able to throw the other man down. Of course, Hongjoong had noticed.

"Or are you satisfied with having me on top? A dream come true, perhaps?" With that, he ground down dirtily on Seonghwa's lap, making a surprised gasp escape his lips.

Hongjoong squeaked when Seonghwa suddenly rolled them around and brought the other man underneath himself. Hongjoong went to fending him off immediately, their bodies pressing close together and interweaving as they tried to render the opposite useless.

Their harsh breathing was the only thing heard in the room save for the sound of bodies hitting the ground roughly. It was a tiring battle. Hongjoong's resistance was far stronger than Seonghwa would have expected, and his previous actions had exhausted the alpha. He didn't have enough stamina to hold up against the other man, and the constant rush of heat through his body at the exhilaration of their fight didn't help either.

Sometimes, Seonghwa sparred with Yunho at home. The man knew of a few martial arts that he trained Seonghwa in. However, while that kind of fighting, too, could get Seonghwa going, he had the impression of not having had such a satisfying fight in a long time. Hongjoong was an excellent opponent with just the right amount of willpower compared to his teasing self.

Furthermore, he kept grinding down on Seonghwa in what he tried to make seem like an accident when in reality, he just really liked pressing his middle against Seonghwa's hardness.

With the minutes passing and them rolling over the ground with none gaining the upper hand, Seonghwa's breaths became more ragged from the constant pressure. By now, he had lost all motivation to fight. Instead, it had been exchanged with raging lust for the other man whose spread thighs he was in between. He just wanted to grab Hongjoong and press him down on his length already.

Thus, in a last boost of strength, Seonghwa collected all of his power to throw them around another time and pinned Hongjoong down with his body weight. As usual, there were grappling hands, but this time, Seonghwa let Hongjoong restrain his hands easily.

Confusion crossed over the man's features until Seonghwa suddenly leaned forward and pressed their chests together.

Startled, Hongjoong turned his head away, making the mistake of exposing his neck to Seonghwa.

Seonghwa dove right in and kept Hongjoong's hands locked above his head as his teeth met skin.

He would not bite the man, gods, no, but just a gentle scrape of teeth against Hongjoong's sweaty skin made the man go rigid underneath him like a frightened bunny. Having an alpha so close to one's neck always poised a risk, so his reaction was fair. However, the way with which his legs trembled around Seonghwa's waist as he nosed over his scent gland came somewhat surprising.

They were not that close that they would scent each other. Yet, Hongjoong went pliant underneath Seonghwa, allowing him to press his hardness down on him as he searched for smell on Hongjoong.

Hongjoong keened quietly when Seonghwa suddenly licked over his sensitive skin in a sudden impulse. He tried to get those scent blockers off, wanting to smell the man's sweet arousal already. Yet, it was only when Seonghwa shifted his body to have better access and accidentally pressed their dicks together once more, that his scent penetrated the air for the first time.

It was heady and heavy, a given, in their current situation. It was also so far different from any of the scents Seonghwa had been close to before either.

Seonghwa was used to his pack's smells. San smelled of freshly cut grass, Yunho of cinnamon, and Yeosang of bread baking in an oven. Seonghwa had been told he smelled like a homey fire crackling in the fire place - pretty boring in San's opinion - but he liked it.

Hongjoong, however, Hongjoong smelled like a thunderstorm. He smelled like the rich earth after rain, like the unmistakeable anticipation nature had right before the rain came crashing down on it.

Hongjoong smelled like danger, and his scent lured in Seonghwa so much that he failed to notice the obvious.

Hongjoong didn't smell like an omega at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, if you want a few story intel and visuals, check out my Twitter @Susimau_s


	15. Midnight Ride

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mild smut towards the end

Hongjoong's steely patience with Seonghwa was incredible. Despite Seonghwa being so close to his sensitive throat, he didn't flinch away. He did not complain as Seonghwa rubbed his own scent all over him and tasted his salty skin with his tongue.

He was deliciously distracted by the sudden shift in power dynamics, and Seonghwa used that to his advantage. He sensually rolled his hips down another time, getting Hongjoong to arch up into him at the feel. His scent grew thicker, nearly enough for Seonghwa to taste it on his tongue.

His alpha was screaming at him to bite the man, to claim him as his. Seonghwa was mightily weirded out by the need. It went too far. He and Hongjoong were not in that kind of close relationship. Hongjoong was not even part of his pack, why in the world would Seonghwa want to bite him?

In order to stop himself from doing something stupid, Seonghwa instead licked over the man's erratically beating pulse again while he gently pulled his hand free. Hongjoong was too gone to notice and thus allowed Seonghwa to reach down into his open catsuit easily. His fingers didn't brush any hair on their way down.

Hongjoong gave a little breathless gasp when Seonghwa intentionally grabbed at his hardness first, giving it a firm squeeze. Seonghwa hummed against his skin in answer, mindlessly nibbling at his neck without ever biting down. He kept most of his hand around Hongjoong's hardness while he felt around for the artefact with his ring- and little finger.

Hongjoong was... bigger than expected. Usually, omega genitals were smaller since they didn't have a knot to deal with and also couldn't breed anybody. But then again, Yeosang wasn't tiny either, just delicately build. Still, Hongjoong seemed considerably larger than expected.

The latex of his suit dragged against Seonghwa's hand smoothly, probably making Hongjoong all the more sensitive.

The tension between the two of them was enormous. Not only in the way their bodies had tensed above each other, but also with how their scents mingled. It could have made anybody's knees weak had somebody been close. Not to mention the evident intimacy of their situation.

When his fingers finally managed to catch the amulet piece, Seonghwa pressed an appreciative kiss against Hongjoong's throat, being generous. He pulled back, then and pushed Hongjoong's legs off his waist to sit on his haunches. Hongjoong stayed as he was, his legs spread around Seonghwa's thighs, and his leaking tip peeking out from his suit. His cheeks were flushed, and his build chest heaved with every breath, capturing Seonghwa's eyes. A shiny layer of sweat covered his exposed skin.

He looked like a beautiful mess.

Hongjoong's bowed lips were opened slightly, and bottomless eyes kept watching Seonghwa.

"Got it. You lose this round, Kim."

Disbelieving laughter tumbled out of Hongjoong's mouth. He closed his legs towards his body and rolled backwards, out of Seonghwa's reach. His hand came up to rub at his sensitive neck, distracted. Seonghwa could see his fingers tremble.

"You really have to be suicidal. Getting so close to my throat..."

Seonghwa gave a dry snort while he stood up with wobbly knees. Quickly, he composed himself.

"I could say the same. You always let alphas overpower you like this?"

"No." Hongjoong grinned cheekily. "Just you." He even dared to throw a playful wink in.

With another snort, Seonghwa went to collect his things. Hongjoong behind him did the same, both ignoring their obvious problems. None of them was ready to act on that kind of tension yet without having a rut as an excuse.

However, not speaking at all would have been worse, so Seonghwa tried himself at small talk. Thankfully, Hongjoong didn't deem it as too awkward.

"Are you going home?"

"Yeah. But Jongho can't pick me up just yet. Gotta wait for a few hours." He fastened his pistols on his belt, making eye contact again as he roughly jammed them in their holsters. Seonghwa smirked at him.

"Wanna walk me to my bike then?"

Seonghwa bit his lip when the question slipped out, trying to appear nonchalant. He didn't want to seem too desperate in case Hongjoong didn't want to.

However, the man just nodded and fixed his appearance before following Seonghwa.

The energy around them was kind of awkward. Seonghwa was not sure if it was because they had gone too far or not far enough, but he wouldn't make it even weirder by asking. They went out to where the men had shot the bridge down again and stepped up next to each other on the steep ledge leading down. Over the deafening noise of millions of litres of water, a conversation was nearly impossible.

Hongjoong grinned when Seonghwa adjusted his weapon and made sure his boots sat snugly on his feet.

"Ladies first," Hongjoong offered with a grand gesture of his hand, making Seonghwa scoff. Still, he took a quick run-up and jumped down into the waterfall just like he had done earlier. The current immediately picked him up and took him away. He just let himself be carried, helping speed up with just a few kicks. He had trained for a long time to hold his breath up to eight minutes, and he wouldn't be down here for so long.

He was rushing through an underground tunnel system that led him right out of the palace and into their lake again. He resurfaced outside in the twilight of the evening with a big gasp, feeling once again refreshed from the cold water. After slicking his hair back, he began swimming over to the cliff he had parked his bike upon.

He was already a few meters up on the wall climbing when Hongjoong appeared and followed up. He had been so decent to close his suit at least a bit more to he wouldn't get too many scratches on his bare skin.

They climbed in relative silence. Hongjoong was slightly diagonal from Seonghwa in order to not get hit by any dirt and stones he kicked loose, and both of them were far too busy breathing in the humid air to keep up their little talk.

Seonghwa arrived on top first and waited for Hongjoong to come up next to him while he looked out over the scenery. This was the reason why Africa was one of his favourite continents. He loved the landscapes and animals here. And, as a given, the cultural heritage too.

Hongjoong dusted his wet suit off that stuck even more to his curves after rising. Seonghwa nodded at him to go, and they walked over to the path slowly. Hongjoong went first and played the gentleman by holding large leaves out of Seonghwa's way for him. Every time he did that, Seonghwa rolled his eyes a little.

However, his tactics worked slightly. Seonghwa found himself sending him appreciative glances from time to time.

With how tough of an alpha Seonghwa was, nobody would ever dare hold leaves out of his path. It made a lot of sense the simple gesture made him feel warm.

They found his bike right where he had hidden it behind the bushes. Seonghwa went right to locking his bag away from Hongjoong's curious eyes, but he didn't mount the bike just yet. He had to find some way of goodbye first.

"I could take you."

No, not what he meant! Gods, why was he continuously being dumb towards this man?!

Hongjoong rose an amused brow at him.

"You know, if you tell me what direction Jongho will come from, I can take you there. Maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle," he coolly played it off and slicked his blonde hair back once again. He thought about changing his shirt, but he didn't want to undress in front of Hongjoong right now.

"Is this you paying back that favour from Japan?" Hongjoong coyly pushed his hip out as he shifted his weight. Cheekily, he crossed his arms, but his face was open.

"This is me accepting that it's only fair if I offer it, too. Who knows, the mosquitos might get just as dangerous to you as the yakuza can be to me."

Hongjoong chuckled, but he stepped closer with a hum.

"Alright then, biker boy. Tell me what to do."

Oh, Seonghwa would love to tell him different things he could do, but for now, he just took a seat on his bike first.

"Get on behind me and hold on. Don't fall off if you don't feel the need to, that's basically all of the rules."

Hongjoong gave a cheerful nod at the simple task and then tried to swing his leg over just like Seonghwa always did. Being much smaller, he looked close to clumsy, but he managed after tiptoeing for a moment. His weight pushed the bike down a bit, and then his arms wrapped around Seonghwa's middle securely.

The man nearly choked.

After clearing his throat, Seonghwa kicked the stand off. He twisted the key in the lock without another word and took off through the forest.

San re-connected with him when he noticed Seonghwa's signal moving. His voice was a glorious distraction from Hongjoong's tiny hands that held Seonghwa's sides so strongly.

"Hey, you alright? Coming back? How did your little date go? Just tell us if we have a new pack member now."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes and let Hongjoong's voice as he discussed with his own team, too, become white noise.

"Yeah, and no, we don't. I got the piece and will be back home by tomorrow. Ask Yunho to draw a nice hot bath by the time I come home, please."

"That bad?"

Seonghwa just inhaled to answer when he noticed Hongjoong's fingers sneaking downwards. He pretended to be oblivious as he kept talking. Seonghwa tried to concentrate on the nightly road while the other man sneakily unbuckled his belt from behind.

"Just might need a break. You try to find out where the next piece is. I think there should be like... Two more? Maybe? Do a scan and piece them together."

"Aye, Captain... I'm gonna assume you won't tell me things until you're back here?" San sounded disappointed to not be part of the gossip.

"I won't. Who knows who might listen in." Seonghwa's breath got stuck in his throat when Hongjoong's gloved fingers slipped into his pants and wrapped around his still hard length. Teasingly, he ran one finger over the tip while the other dipped down to grab his base in a firm grip. Damn, it was too warm out here for this.

"Boring. But fine, I will. Call me when you're in the jet. Want Yunho to babble to you?"

"N-no, not today. I'll contact you again later. Remember the bath!"

"Yeah, yeah, grandpa." With that, San tapped out again for the moment, leaving Seonghwa to deal with Hongjoong.

Aware of the camera on his ear, Seonghwa gave his best not to look down, but he wanted to see those hands around his member so desperately.

So, in the end, he did, a low moan escaping him as he saw how Hongjoong worked him with lazy flicks of his wrist. He was smearing Seonghwa's precome everywhere, staining his pants, yet it was undeniably hot to see.

Seonghwa noticed Hongjoong having fallen quiet behind him only when he brattily chided him for not looking at the road.

Seonghwa did, but not for long. His orgasm was approaching fast from all the waiting, and he wasn't going to let Hongjoong get away with this again.

Thus, he pulled the bike to a stop under a nearby tree and left the lights on, as he leaned it on its stand.

With one rough pull, he had lifted Hongjoong and was pulling the man over his body to straddle his lap. Hongjoong did so with a lovely giggle, his tiny frame easy to manhandle.

Seonghwa stared up at the man's delicate face for a second. He was all soft and pointy features that put together an innocent face that was entirely out of place on this robber, killer, and siren.

Hongjoong chuckled again as he leaned forward to scent Seonghwa now, too. He ground his hips down in the same movement, and Seonghwa bared his neck for him as he helped the man move his hips against his own hardness.

The instinct to pull away was nearly overpowering Seonghwa, but he let the man breathe in his scent as much as he wanted, and leave his own in his wake too. Breathless little gasps escaped Hongjoong as their movements quickened until Seonghwa slipped a hand down his open suit again to adjust the other man's hardness.

His fingers brushed against something unusually firm, but in the dark of the night, he couldn't see anything and brushed it off to be a belt buckle or something.

He pushed Hongjoong's hardness down to his thigh, making it align with his leg. Like this, the tip was barely covered by the fabric of his suit, creating a pretty outline.

They made each other come out there in the middle of the night. Seonghwa covered both of their bodies with sticky semen while Hongjoong painted his thigh white.

Only after they had calmed down, they picked up their ride again. None of them mentioned it during the rest of their journey.


	16. Shocking Revelations

San snarled at Seonghwa the minute he stepped through the main entrance door.

At hearing the hostile sound coming from his friend, Seonghwa froze right in his spot, nearly dropping his bag in shock.

His pack members had not once snarled at him in all the time he had known them, never. Snapping at the pack alpha was something akin to a death sentence in some other packs Seonghwa knew. Often it was a sign of challenge, too, if it came from another alpha. Having San growl at him was a very bad signal.

"San?" Seonghwa spoke quietly and made sure his gentle voice carried none of the defensive malice his own alpha felt right now. He was not here to fight, and he would like to keep San from it, too.

"You reek of alpha. What the hell did you do?!"

Seonghwa blinked slowly, not getting what the man was implying. He _was_ an alpha; of course, he would smell like one.

"What?"

Icy flames of jealousy and possessiveness were burning in San's eyes as he pressed his hand over his nose and mouth and tried to come closer. In the end, he couldn't. The foreign smell that clung to Seonghwa was too powerful for the alpha to near without wanting to rip Seonghwa's throat out. This Seonghwa didn't smell like the usual Seonghwa. He smelled of somebody entirely different. Somebody who was not part of their pack yet had claimed Seonghwa as theirs.

Above them, more steps got loud, and then Yeosang was curiously coming down the stairs to Seonghwa's left. His blond hair was overgrowing in the back, but he still looked adorable with his big eyes.

"Something smells good."

Seonghwa looked between the two of them confusedly. Despite them waiting for an explanation from him, he rather needed one himself. Did his scent shift? Did he miss something? If it was alpha scents, he had more troubles detecting those as long as they posed no threat. It was easier for him to smell omegas and betas. Maybe the pilot on the plane had been in rut and rubbed off somehow?

"God, smell him, Yeosang, this is like- three layers of another person. What did you do, bathe in somebody's guts? How is that it's only one scent and so strong, too? How did you get so close to these men?" San tensely leaned against one of the columns carrying the corridor above them while Seonghwa slowly sat his bag down. He was moving deliberately as to not trigger San again. He also tried to swallow down the pain in his chest at the man's sudden rejection.

It felt horrible to have his own pack move back from him.

Yeosang, however, had fewer qualms. While for him, too, the smell was foreign, he didn't immediately see another alpha as a threat (especially since they had two in their pack.) He stepped in Seonghwa's personal space courageously, and his nose scrunched the slightest bit, but he didn't complain quite yet as he carefully snuffled around him.

Seonghwa waited patiently but without leaving San's aggressive eyes out of his sight. He rather wouldn't have Yeosang between the two of them, should his fellow alpha choose to attack him. 

"It's only one person... Who is it? Did some women try to lure you in again? Damn, they are getting bold."

"No, I-" Seonghwa had taken multiple showers on his way home. He should have been able to wash it all off, except- 

There had been only one person whom he had been close enough that his scent could have rubbed off all over him.

But that was utter nonsense. Hongjoong was no alpha.

"Uhh, are you guys sure it smells like an alpha?" Anybody could make a mistake, right? Hongjoong's natural scent might seem not very welcoming and dangerous, but that didn't necessarily make him an alpha.

"One hundred percent or I wouldn't be here and try to keep myself from mauling you," San hissed lowly, and the threat that radiated off him became even more durable. Seonghwa placatingly lifted his hands, showing surrender. He didn't want the situation to escalate. 

But he was so confused. Why would he smell of alpha? Hongjoong could impossibly be an alpha, could he? Then why didn't he tell Seonghwa? 

Then again, what the hell was he doing? Being intimate with an alpha? Why would Hongjoong want that?

He couldn't quite believe it. He refused to believe it until he heard it from Hongjoong himself. 

"Give me a minute."

Seonghwa searched his bag for his phone, pulling it out when he finally found it underneath his earphones. He had by now saved Hongjoong's number as 'Brat' and did not hesitate to call.

He didn't care what time zone the man was in right now and if he was sleeping. He needed answers right this instant.

Indeed, Hongjoong picked up after the second ring. Seonghwa tensed, ready to give the man an earful.

"Hey, fledgeling. Miss me?"

"Tell me why the hell my pack just told me I reeked of alpha when the only one who was boldly scenting me was you?"

San sucked in a harsh breath, his eyes growing wide with understanding. Yeosang had by now stepped back too and was waiting with furrowed brows on one of the sofas around the large fireplace.

"Are you sure? Maybe somebody took advantage of you in your sleep," Hongjoong hummed smoothly, sounding awake but unbusy. Also, there way a hint of cynism in his voice.

Seonghwa gritted his teeth until his jaw hurt.

"Why did you never tell me?!" He hissed disbelievingly. He was not angry, per se, rather shocked instead. Even if he hadn't known, Hongjoong surely did. And yet, he had chosen to fuck with Seonghwa.

"I never denied it, did I? I'd even dare assume that I was quite obvious with it if we disregard my scent. Which you also got a whiff of by now, though. _I_ can't tell you why you thought of me as omega, and _you_ also never asked," Hongjoong urged caution towards Seonghwa's wild assumptions. However, Seonghwa had heard enough. 

Quickly, he ended the call, tasting the sour truth in his mouth. When he looked at San again, the answer was written down on his face far too obviously. San narrowed his eyes at him once again.

"Damn," the other alpha only commented halfway impressed.

"Shut him out. I don't want him here, via phone or anything. I'm gonna finish this hunt and try to avoid him as good as possible." With that, Seonghwa angrily picked up his bag and stomped up the stairs to take his bath. He wouldn't get rid of Hongjoong's smell anytime soon, but he could at least try to. 

Gods, it explained so much. The man's strength, his attitude, the way he had always seemed so amused about Seonghwa. He had literally played him like a fiddle, and Seonghwa hadn't done anything about it. 

But seriously, two alphas? What was this, some joke? Or a weird kink Hongjoong had? They had even had this conversation face to face. Two alphas didn't make any sense.

Seonghwa dropped his bag in his room before rushing over to his bathroom. Yunho was there still, waiting for him to help him bathe and patch up his wounds like a sweet mom.

"Take a bath with me," Seonghwa asked while he ripped his clothes off his body impatiently. He needed that scent-deafening shampoo in the back of his cupboard now.

If Yunho was surprised, he didn't show it. He also didn't comment on Seonghwa's weird scent even if Seonghwa caught him unconsciously rubbing his thighs together at some time. It annoyed Seonghwa even further.

How dare Hongjoong affect _Seonghwa_ 's pack like this with _his_ scent?!

Yunho helped Seonghwa bathe and calmed him down considerably with his soothing presence and happy voice. By the time Seonghwa finished with soaking, he felt a little better and less bitter about having become such a clown.

Despite having come home and having a whole cuddly pack who wanted to share his bed, Seonghwa chose to sleep alone still. He proceeded to toss and turn in his bed for hours until finally falling into a fitful sleep in which he spent his time running from some stupid wolf.

-

Seonghwa hastily lifted his head from the white tiles of the floor around the pool when he heard the door open to the room and close behind him. He was definitely tired and plagued by Hongjoong still, and if he didn't start taking care, he would lamely drown in their extensive pool before he ever got to shoot the man in the foot for his foolery. Unsuccessfully, he tried to blink the fatigue out of his eyes.

The person who had entered brought their things over to the niche Seonghwa had placed his towel in, too, before joining him in the water. Tattoed and tanned legs slid into the water next to him as the person sat down on the ledge.

Seonghwa recognised his tattoos.

"Hey, Bang."

"Yunho had to smuggle me in through your garden, there are reporters outside again." The man idly kicked his feet through the water, not coming in yet. 

Seonghwa gave a groan. More troubles when he just wanted to scream into his pillows all day.

They shared a minute of silence while they just stared out over the marble halls and the fancy golden linings and statues inside the grand room and the gallery above them. Seonghwa might need to throw a pool party with his pack again soon to let them all have a break after long, stressful weeks. However, he needed to snatch the treasure first.

Seonghwa idly played with his wrinkly fingers in the water.

"Hey, I gotta ask you something."

"Hm?" Yongguk finally slipped in beside him and sighed as the cool water enveloped his body. Calmly, he swam a few little circles that had the natural light from the glass ceiling and the water play lovingly with the muscles shifting underneath his skin.

"I know this person, who deceived me into being an omega, yet they were an alpha all this time. But even if they probably did it for fun, they were very... close to me. Why the hell would an alpha do that? Isn't that like giving up one's pride?"

"I don't know, what is wrong with alphas sleeping with other alphas? I mean, yes, sure, we don't see that often, but then again, there was a time when gay couples were a taboo, too." Yongguk didn't seem surprised in the least, just playing in the water happily.

"Yeah, but- I don't know... If I mention biology, it makes just as little sense as telling gay couples off because of it, but as a prideful alpha...?" Seonghwa himself had no idea what the problem was. There wasn't even a problem in general, but it was weird and new and nothing he had associated himself with during his life before.

"But aren't you an unusual alpha yourself? We've long since overcome the stereotype of abusive, domineering alphas and weak omegas. Yeosang would stab as a warning, and you are such a dear towards your pack, too. Most packs with such boring alphas also don't have fellow alphas around who could be a threat. Yet, you have San. Think out of the box. Other alphas have other special traits. Gender doesn't form a personality."

Seonghwa's lips pulled into a wry smile as Yongguk just mumbled to himself mostly. Yet, he was speaking the truth. Seonghwa had to overthink it again.

"Spewing philosophy since 1990, aren't you?"

Yongguk grinned at him with his gums on display before coming over again and resting his head on his arms next to Seonghwa. Lazily, he kicked his feet to keep his body afloat.

"Call me Plato. Not Aristotle, though, he was sexist."

Seonghwa laughed with him as they shared the calming effect of the room. 

"I'll be going to Kazakhstan in two days; we've detected another one of the pieces there. Have you heard of Project Carbonek?"

"The name reminds me of something, but I can't quite get behind it... I assume it means trouble?"

"Yeah. Some secret soviet project... You know they are all the same. Does it interest you? I can take you."

Yongguk turned his head towards Seonghwa, giving him a broad smile.

"Sure, why not? It sounds like fun, let's go together. Maybe I can be of some help even."

They spent the rest of the day chilling in the pool until they ate later with the rest of the boys. Yongguk's presence was calming and distracted Seonghwa at least during the day from certain red-haired tricksters. 

He hoped not to see the man again during this trip.


	17. Project Carbonek

"Yeosang, I'm at the base. Go ahead." Seonghwa slid down the last part of the snowy hill and down onto a large rock he could stand on. His heavy boots dug deep into snow and ice as he looked out over the camp beneath. It was secluded between the snowy mountains that rose around him like jagged teeth, and a high fence surrounded the whole thing. Seonghwa took out his binoculars to oversee the situation.

"I was right, it was a secret Soviet project from the fifties called "Carbonek." The laboratory was studying ancient artefacts, but some mysterious disaster brought the KGB down, and they erased it all from history... almost." Yeosang flipped through some papers in his hands while explaining.

Seonghwa meanwhile zoomed in on some men who ran around between the buildings like busy ants. They were shooting at other people; people, who looked suspiciously like the mercenaries Hongjoong had had with him in Bolivia. They were wearing the same kind of gear and used the same techniques as it seemed.

Seonghwa exhaled slowly.

"There seems to be trouble below. A party full of people."

"You got there right on time," San commented worriedly while Seonghwa zoomed in onto another building further hidden behind another gate in front of which most fights went down.

"Or a little late. Kim's men are attacking the Kazakhs."

Which could mean only one thing. Hongjoong himself was not far. How had the man known when Seonghwa would be here? Seonghwa cursed his luck inwardly. Dodging him might get complicated.

"The lab is somehow connected to that military base, but we don't know how. If you find the command centre, we might get a better idea. Now, after the firefight dies down, you should try-"

Seonghwa interrupted him while he put the binoculars away and smoothed out his soft cuddly rose-pink winter jacket. The soft white fur lining it brushed against his neck as he pulled his weapon without waiting another second.

"Oh, come on, San. Waiting is for the patient. Which I am not. I gotta hurry and outrun him." With that, he jumped down the rock and continued sliding hazardously over the frozen hills. He opened fire even before he arrived on the ground, shooting the first of Kim's men down immediately. The Kazakhs recognised him as a friendly force and grouped up with him without one word being exchanged.

They managed to battle back the enemy group without further problems. They had heavy machine guns and grenades anyway, meaning that Hongjoong had used his men mostly as a distraction, not as a means to win.

After they had beat that group of men, Seonghwa stepped up to one of the soldiers while putting his weapon away. He nodded at the man and got a salute in return before the man took his helmet down. With icy blue eyes, he scrutinised Seonghwa.

"Where is your commando centre?"

The man looked him up and down once, his eyes narrowed. He seemed to want to tell off Seonghwa when Yongguk suddenly stepped up to them and rested a gloved hand on Seonghwa's shoulder. The man had arrived on the less dangerous route and via the actual road leading here and thus had missed all the fun.

Yongguk didn't look as soft today. Today, he wore his hair slicked back and a dark coat, exuding authority.

"We are not here to make trouble, and we will leave soon. We are after the person who attacked you," he assured the man in perfect Russian while his face and voice remained calm. Seonghwa waited with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

At this, the man seemed satisfied. He put his helmet underneath his arm and nodded at Yongguk shortly.

"I'll take you."

They followed the man through the gate after he punched the code into the frozen keyboard. He led them up a snowy road to the last building, motioning them to get in. Inside, it wasn't much warmer than outside, but at least not everything was covered in a thin layer of ice.

San hummed appreciatively at the sight of a lot of monitors in front. They took up most of the wall on the west, and the control panel in front looked impressive, too.

Their new friend was lovely enough to turn them on for them, so Seonghwa could step up and get whatever he needed. Of course, everything was in Russian, and despite him being able to speak a bit, he sure as hell couldn't read it.

"There, that over there means Map. The third word from the bottom," San supplied excitedly through the headset.

Seonghwa clicked it, pulling up a large map that spread over the monitors. He frowned at the many kilometres distance. Hongjoong probably had already taken his chopper and would arrive far sooner. How was it that Seonghwa never managed to outrun that man?

"Oof. That's a hike," Yeosang commented worriedly as he saw it, too. Unbothered, Seonghwa moved back from the monitors with his hands formed to determined fists.

"I'm not walking. There's a military transport train that runs past the lab." Seonghwa turned to Yongguk inquisitively, seeing the man already smirking at him. Seonghwa noticed how he was for once as tall as the other man with his heavy boots.

"I'm gonna disable the train. You're taking your bike and hunt that boy down," Yongguk easily suggested.

Seonghwa felt himself copy the man's grin.

"Good to know that I have a professional train-disabling person here."

Yongguk smiled broadly before turning to their man again. He was still waiting next to them, stiff as a board while he followed their conversation.

"Take us to the train, please."

"You'll need to hurry. They hijacked it earlier."

They exchanged another glance then.

"To my bike, then. We're gonna catch up."

Yongguk gave a short nod, and then both of them took off, jogging back down the road Yongguk had taken here. Seonghwa had put snow chains on the vehicle earlier so he wouldn't slip while driving, and now they came in handier than expected.

Seonghwa jumped right onto his treasured bike, Yongguk slipping on behind him. The man held onto his shoulders rather than his waist, yet Seonghwa felt hit by a bitter stab of deja-vu at the familiar position.

Damn Hongjoong. Maybe Seonghwa should still shoot him on sight, after all.

Seonghwa found the rails through San's navigation skills, and indeed, they were soon driving through the snowy fields next to the rushing train. Seonghwa could also see some cars and bikers following the same route, probably making sure to keep him from following.

After Seonghwa had let Yongguk jump off onto the train to mess with it, Seonghwa went hunting those men down.

Just like in Peru, the whole thing resulted in a wild exchange of bullets on the road. After kicking the first enemy down his bike, Seonghwa had to stop for a second to take his weapons with him, so he could shoot while driving, but after that, there was no stopping him.

Seonghwa was angry. Angry and frustrated with his nemesis. All of the adrenalin that fueled him into surviving the bullets hailing down on him went into fighting back. He dangerously curved around rocks and trees that were partly hidden by the snow, and the white flocks still falling sometimes obscured his sight. He was terribly careless, yet he couldn't bring himself to care. San knew it was his job to be quiet during those times, so he was, even if he probably could barely watch Seonghwa nearly die every five minutes, thanks to the anxious nerves.

Impatiently, Seonghwa shot one of the tires on the jeep in front of him and dodged it as it crashed against a tree, shaking the surrounding ground considerably.

Seonghwa killed everybody in sight and only then followed through the tunnel the train had disappeared in. It was only him, his harsh breaths in the cold air, and the darkness then.

For a second, the eerie tranquillity felt as if the world as frozen, like a glitch. Then, the back part of the train came into sight again. It had derailed and slid into the dark ditch on the other side of the tunnel. Seonghwa passed it, and the other train wagons that looked like a confused caterpillar without much interest. As it seemed, this tunnel connected directly to the lab, and that was the only care he had right now.

In the end, he entered a hall that had once been a train station, but the gates in front had been closed. Thus, the train had crashed in the icy room, and the two wagons in the front were even laying on their sides. Yongguk was there when Seonghwa pulled up, and he smirked wryly at Seonghwa from the box he was sitting on.

As usual, he looked impeccable, as if he hadn't just crashed a whole train that smelled like fire in some worrisome way.

"I'm afraid you gotta crawl through the vent. I'm gonna secure your escape route and park this somewhere you can find it later. Let's split up from thereon. You can search your artefact while I check out the stuff Tesla left here." Yongguk jumped from the crate and exchanged places with Seonghwa on his bike.

"Alright. Good luck with that. I guess I got most of them on the way, but there might still be some inside. Watch out for those."

"I will. Happy digging."

With that, Seonghwa jogged off to go jump up the walls. Yongguk cruised off again, and only when the bike was out of sight, San dared to breathe again. His sigh sounded disappointed, but he didn't comment on it. Not as if it would have helped, anyway.

Seonghwa could comfortably walk through the tall vents. On the way, he found a dead body lying in some corner. The corpse was all white and blue, meaning he had died of painful hypothermia. Yeosang murmured a little 'oh God' at the view, so Seongwha hurried to look elsewhere and continued on his path.

"I guess they locked all of the doors after their experiment failed. He probably got stuck while trying to escape," Seonghwa murmured quietly as he jumped down into another room and spontaneously went left.

The direction proved to be a good one. Soon, he came into what looked like some meeting room. Its white and clean interior was a nice change to the metal corridors that were crossed by pipes running all over the walls.

And in that meeting room, he found a shield that looked entirely out of place. It was lying on the big white table next to another body, and when Seonghwa picked it up, his fingers nearly froze off from its coldness despite him wearing leather gloves.

"It's a shield, tenth or eleventh century... probably recovered with the piece we're looking for. It resembles Lancelot's crest, doesn't it? How did it get here?" Seonghwa critically looked the thing down. It was red and white, just how the crusader's had been in old history books.

"It would if the bugger had existed," Yeosang giggled amusedly, but even he seemed intrigued. It sure wasn't new, so it had to be related somehow. Whether it had been Lancelot or not, this shield clearly belonged to England.

Seonghwa checked out the back. The leather straps holding it had long since disappeared, but he found something else. There were lines engraved into the grey metal that seemed far more wilfully crafted than just scratches.

"Oh, what's this now? It looks like a map. Have a good look and see what you can make of it. You got it?" Seonghwa angled the shield so they could see better and take a good picture to investigate.

"Yep, thanks. What do you think it's for?" San sounded confused while in the background, Yeosang was already hectically flipping through his books again.

"Maybe our knight needed help finding his way home. Or perhaps this piece wasn't all he had. If it is indeed a map, it might tell us our next location, so try and decipher it quickly." Seonghwa looked around. He wanted to hide the shield somewhere in hopes Hongjoong wouldn't find it.

In the end, he shoved it into a cupboard and slammed the doors shut. It surely wasn't the safest of all places, but he didn't have the time to deal with it further. For now, this had to suffice.

After that, he set out on his hunt again.


	18. As If

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is dedicated to @RRediKON for the gorgeous fanart they drew for me! You gotta find it on Twitter urself tho, my mom didn't teach me how to Hyperlink .-.

Seonghwa found the first traces of Hongjoong on his way down another freezing corridor. There were new bodies strewn over the ground, and when Seonghwa knelt down next to one, he found the 9-millimetre bullets Hongjoong preferredly used in his body.

He dropped the body with a scowl and went further down the corridor towards wherever Hongjoong was. He sidestepped a multitude of loose cables that were still creating blue sparks that came dangerously close to some puddles of water. Hongjoong must have reactivated the power in the old lab somewhere, and now the ice was steadily melting and creating even more death traps than before.

"Hey, uh... What are you going to tell him?" 

San sudden question alerted Seonghwa of Hongjoong's presence. The other alpha was bad at masking his evident liking towards some of the man's pack members.

Seonghwa sighed.

"I'm going to be honest with him. I won't play nice."

"So will you let him take your knot this time, or...?"

Yunho whacked San over the head with what sounded like a folder, cursing his loose tongue.

Seonghwa just shook his head at them and then set out to cross the last bit of distance. In front, there was an open door leading into a brightly lit room as if it wanted him to go there. So he did.

He stepped into a large round room opening up behind the corridor and pushed the door shut behind him. Hongjoong was here indeed, in his stupid catsuit - but this time, he wore a white one for a change - and his red hair shaggily fell into his face where he was crouching on the ground.

After a quick scan of the room, Seonghwa found nothing else but the man's coat that was lying somewhere in the dirt. It was a long black fur coat that would keep the tiny man deliciously warm, but instead, he was shivering in his catsuit for no apparent reason.

Stupid.

"Don't move. The room is spiked with traps." Hongjoong carefully felt over the floor in front of him and then lifted his left leg, moving a tiny step forward. He only let the tip of his boot touch the ground there, and his whole body was poised like a string ready to snap. His muscles were bulging under his skin, and the tight latex showed it all. Seonghwa swallowed, using the moment to stare while the man had turned his back to him.

"I'd rather have a talk with you than play twister on the floor right now."

"You can try from the other side; there are two entrances. Let's talk and see who gets it first."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes but stayed rooted on his spot.

"You might be lying again; I won't trust you. I'll stay right here and get it from you later."

At that, Hongjoong laughed breathlessly before carefully pushing himself up on his hands. He stepped over with dangerously little control over his speed, nearly slipping. Seonghwa felt his breath get stuck in his throat as he saw the man tumble, then he regained his footing, exhaling harshly. Seonghwa did too if trying to be smooth and quiet about it.

"If I tell you I didn't do it to lie to you, would you believe me?"

Seonghwa crossed his arms while he leant back against the wall next to the door. Tirelessly, he watched Hongjoong crawl around on his hands and knees to somehow get to the mechanism that deactivated the obviously blue glimmering trap around the artefact piece on the table in the centre of the room, and then back to said table.

"I don't know. It might depend on your reason. So far, you've been good at lying anyway." Seonghwa's voice was hard and unforgiving. He didn't know why he was this angry about such a trivial fact. Hongjoong was his rival; of course, he would make trouble. Who was Seonghwa to assume that they had some moral codex going on in which they didn't lie to each other? It was nonsense, and rather than in Hongjoong, he was more disappointed in himself for falling for that trap.

Hongjoong sucking him off did not make them to colleagues.

"I told you, didn't I? I never lied to you. You made your assumptions based on nothing at all. Isn't it far ruder to think gender-biased?" Hongjoong bit his lower lip as he carefully shifted his weigh, his fingers still searching over the floor. They looked tiny in those half-finger gloves, barely the tips peeking out.

"You hid your scent," Seonghwa pointed out stubbornly. He saw no use in taking the blame. At least not without hearing the reason first. And even then, he didn't owe Hongjoong anything. It was not as if he had to suddenly befriend his rivals just because they had entered some weird sexual relationship.

"I didn't hide it from _you_ , I hid it from everybody. And if you think again, I showed it only to you even though I took so much care of hiding it. Don't you think I wanted you to know? It's not nice to get pushed into such a role by a man one trusts in."

This stunned Seonghwa. Trust? Why would Hongjoong ever trust him?

"Don't lie to me. You have no reason to trust me."

Hongjoong dropped his weight, sitting in a squat as he pulled open some hidden compartment in the floor. He used a little knife from his weapons belt to cut some tires with quick and expert snaps.

"I've known you for so many years, Seonghwa. There was only one constant thing in my life to hold onto and look forward to, and it was our little competition. There's only so much watching and stalking one can do before you start getting used to a person. You can't tell me that in all those years you haven't noticed even one good thing about me. The infatuation we got with each other doesn't work only in a bad sense. We are bound to get soft on each other."

Seonghwa could hear his heart racing away in his chest at being called out like that. Yes, he only ever wanted to know what Hongjoong was doing and where he was. And if he was completely honest with himself, he had often looked forward to their encounters. Wondering what ridiculously attractive and impractical outfit the man had chosen again and if their ways would cross during their raids.

Seonghwa hated that the man was right. It would have been far easier to not get any feelings involved and just play their game in peace.

"Yet, you're so dense light bends around you. You didn't even get it when I started being openly gay towards you and showing off."

Wait, what-

With a laugh, Hongjoong stood up and put the knife away before normally walking over to his coat and pulling it on. He snuggled into the fur contently even as it dwarfed him utterly.

He then went to work on that table while Seonghwa still stood there with wide eyes and shock written all over his face.

"I even sucked you off, told you like with my own fucking words that I'm interested and you- You really just thought of me as a nuisance all this time, didn't you? I guess you only let me play because you assumed I was an omega. But I didn't want that. I wanted you to know that I wasn't just a thirsty omega who lusted after your scent. That's why I showed you. I knew you would get mad." Roughly, he yanked a loose cover from one side of the table and dug his fingers in the mess of the cables again.

Seeing him work distracted Seonghwa at his confused thoughts, but he tried to collect himself.

Hongjoong yearned for his attention in an attraction kind of way. Hongjoong had literally submitted himself to a fellow alpha to get said attention. And then he had noticed that wasn't what he wanted, he wanted Seonghwa to get to know him, and that's why he came out as an alpha after hiding that for whatever reasons and then-

"Damn, that boy is in love with you. San, you owe me twenty."

Of all people, it just had to be Yunho who had known. Stupid beta and his keen senses for the world around him.

But no, impossible. Hongjoong wouldn't... or would he?

"Why did you hide your scent in the first place?" Seonghwa asked weirdly throaty, coughing right after. Somehow, he had forgotten how speaking worked.

"Because of the gender stereotype you pushed right onto me just like any other person would. I keep telling you that I wasn't an omega! And just like that, I didn't want whatever oh so great role comes with being an alpha. Oh, you got a knot, oh, you can fuck people dumb? What a great man you are! This is your world, not mine. People only want you because you're an alpha, and you smell nice, Seonghwa. I want people to want me no matter who I am," he spat bitterly and then rose to snatch the now unsecured amulet piece.

When he turned, his eyebrows were furrowed in an angry line. Seonghwa felt as if struck by lightning as he met the man's fierce eyes. He failed at breathing for a second before his chest continued rising and sinking at irregular intervals.

"So all those weird questions... About alphas and alphas, you- You actually would do that because-"

"Because as you may have noticed, I don't care for such things. I know your conservative mind tells you that it has no use because what the hell, why mate with a male alpha when it means literally just trouble and the number one goal - reproducing - can't even be reached?" Hongjoong put the stone in his pocket before briskly walking over to Seonghwa. 

Seonghwa couldn't move, just staring like a deer in the headlights as all thought had left him. Hongjoong looked dangerous and not as if he planned on stopping anytime soon.

Seonghwa yelped when their bodies collided, and Hongjoong roughly grabbed his waist with his left hand. His unmasked scent nearly choked Seonghwa, making him breathe it in desperately.

Despite being so much smaller, Hongjoong was broad. Broad and made of muscle in places that were just slender on Seonghwa.

Being manhandled felt all wrong for Seonghwa, yet he couldn't deny how heat shot through his body when Hongjoong wrapped his fingers around the wrist of the hand Seonghwa weakly lifted in protest. Hongjoong pressed that hand warningly against the wall behind them, pinning Seonghwa with his whole body.

Hongjoong was close, so far more intimate to Seonghwa's face than he usually was, and his body was hot through the multiple layers separating them. Seonghwa could feel the man's breath on his chin and swallowed harshly around the tension that seemed to suffocate him. This had escalated so quickly. They had been rivals with no questions asked a month ago. And now, they were here pressed together with electricity making Seonghwa's hair stand on edge.

"So it's true... You _do_ like me," Seonghwa managed to murmur distractedly as if trying to lift the mood.

Hongjoong laughed in his face.

"I do. And I also didn't lie about how good you would look fucked out underneath me. So if you change your mind..." Hongjoong's fingers slipped from Seonghwa's waist to his backpack, swiftly retrieving his PDA. He quickly put in some coordinates while Seonghwa stared dumbly at the dark lashes fluttering over Hongjoong's cheeks as he lowered his eyes.

When he was done, Hongjoong showed the screen to Seonghwa. It was some location in France, labled as 'Your Doom.'

"Visit me at this address. I'll make sure to fuck some sense into you, but I need your consent first. I will view it as such once you show up there. Don't worry, I'll make sure to take good care of you."

Suddenly, Seonghwa's body stopped working as it was supposed to.

He had noticed his legs gradually getting weaker as the other man had crowded into him, and his delicious smell was clouding Seonghwa's senses, but he didn't expect them to just give out underneath his body. With a surprised sound, he reached for Hongjoong, digging his free hand into his shoulder as the man reflexively pushed him back against the wall once more.

He slipped a knee between Seonghwa's thighs in the process and boldly ground it into his arousal as he pressed their chests together. 

He didn't comment any further. He just pressed a lingering kiss against Seonghwa's chin and then stepped back after making sure Seonghwa could somehow stay upright.

With a last smirk, he left then and jogged out of the room hurriedly.

Seonghwa stayed rooted on the spot until he could trust his legs again, and even then, he had to support his body on the wall as he moved a shaky step forward.

"San... Get everything ready. We'll go right to that address."

San choked via headset.

"What?! You're getting yourself some alpha knot?! So fast?!"

Seonghwa rolled his eyes as he straightened and tried to subtly brush off the lingering heat Hongjoong's touch had left on his skin.

"No, you idiot. He just gave me his personal address. I'm going to steal those amulet pieces back."


	19. More than an Artefact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut starting somewhere in the middle of the chapter.
> 
> Warnings for like everything that a/b/o involves. Knotting, breeding, belly bulges, etc.

"Alright, but what about the part where he said he will assume your arrival here as consent? You know you were not that glorious in pushing him off two days ago in Kazakhstan."

Seonghwa inwardly cursed at San, and his useless need to call Seonghwa out for his mistakes. It was not the time for that.

"That's exactly why we waited until he's gone to do this! That would just make things awkward if I told him that uh no, I'm actually not here to get into your bed, I just came to steal from you. Are you sure he's far?" Seonghwa squinted over at the house, Hongjoong resided in with his team. It was all dark inside, all lights long since having gone out. He was sitting in the bushes in their little garden and waiting for his signal to go.

"Yeah, his signal's been stuck in Lyon for quite some hours now. Maybe he has a date that isn't as stubborn as you."

Indignant and definitely not jealous, Seonghwa rose to approach the house in a sneak attack. Everybody had left somewhen during the day. Seonghwa had spent his day waiting and watching them, picking up their scents as they took the evening off.

He had been faster than Hongjoong this time. The man had taken a detour to the south, so Seonghwa had come right here, ready to sneak off with the artefact pieces.

He had seen all three of the pack members leaving the house one after the other. The first one had been their omega, Wooyoung. He was an adorable little thing with bouncy blond locks and a big smile on his face. He had smelled like peaches, and San had been over the moon when Seonghwa told him. San loved peaches, after all.

The second one had been Jongho and his classy scent of old books. He had left the house in a turtleneck despite it being a sunny day and a gloomy face that showed he was deep in thought.

The last beta had been Mingi, then. Mingi was a tall and red-haired man that Seonghwa first thought smelled of coal or fire when actually it was smores being toasted above said fire.

They made a weird pack, but at the same time, it fit Hongjoong so well that Seonghwa wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. The reminder that Hongjoong was a pack alpha sometimes made his insides feel weird.

"Alright then, in we go." Seonghwa was thankful to be secluded by their garden and fence, so him picking the lock of the door wouldn't look as suspicious. Contrary to Seonghwa, Hongjoong lived in a smaller house somewhere in a charming rural area in Paris, instead of a large mansion out of the city. Still, he had some hidden high-tech security that San had disabled for him after Wooyound had left his place behind the computers.

"I hate having to lie to Wooyoung for you," San murmured even now, dejected. Seonghwa imagined him pouting as he stepped in and closed the door behind him quietly. It was completely dark inside, but he had no qualms to hit the light switch.

"Whose pack are you in, you wanna desert us?"

Seonghwa looked around in the comfy but not too messy living room right to his left. Now, where would Hongjoong hide these things?

"I'd ditch you, but never dear Yeosangie. You're lucky. Hmm, there are some more security systems upstairs, he might keep it hidden somewhere. Go up on the next floor and then to the left."

Seonghwa did, sneaking carefully. It was eerily quiet here without anybody around, and he didn't even need to be that cautious, but it could never hurt.

"The second door," San whispered just as tensely.

Seonghwa gave a curt nod and opened said door to step inside, only to find the room already lit. Immediately, an alarm bell rang in Seonghwa's head shrilly. Just now, all lights had been turned off.

"Wait, why-"

Seonghwa gasped at a sudden touch to his ear, flinching away from whatever was behind him. He stumbled into the bedroom in the process, gaining some distance between himself and the man behind him.

It was Hongjoong because, of course, it just had to be fucking Hongjoong out of all people.

With wide eyes, Seonghwa looked from him to the earpiece Hongjoong held in his hand before he set it down on a drawer next to the door slowly. His eyes fixed on Seonghwa then, the flame in them burningly fierily. His scent penetrated the room with a hint of spicy danger.

Oh, God, he was serious.

Seonghwa stepped further back as he lifted his hands in a placating gesture. His heart was racing with what he assumed to be a worry for a misunderstanding. When Hongjoong slowly followed him after kicking the door shut casually, Seonghwa nervously swallowed around his spit.

Hongjoong must have been home for quite some time now, as he was wearing just some low-riding grey sweatpants and a baby blue crop top that read 'straight' in glittery silver letters. He looked entirely not like Hongjoong, yet Seonghwa's eyes were stuck to the sliver of his stomach and the lean muscles his skin outlined.

He looked gorgeous even when in casual wear, and he was right here instead of Lyon.

"So you came," Hongjoong noted with a playful rise of one of his brows as he further crowded Seonghwa in the direction of his bed. Seonghwa panicked.

"This is not what it looks like! I came to rob you, not to- do that."

"Oh, Seonghwa..." Hongjoong gave a defeated sigh, but he didn't stop. Soon, Seonghwa was forced to sit down on the bed and look up at him defiantly. He was slightly nervous, yet he wasn't looking for an escape route either. Rather, he watched Hongjoong step up between his open legs with bated breath.

"Do you think I wouldn't know that? You're so easy to read. You came here expecting to make use of the information I gave you, and here you are blushing for me and staying despite pretending to be oh so disinterested." Hongjoong slowly leaned over Seonghwa to gently catch the man's chin with two fingers and tilt his head to the side. When he spoke right against Seonghwa's ear, Seonghwa found himself shuddering. His hands jerked up to grab at Hongjoong's warm waist when the man's lips brushed his lobe.

"I can smell your arousal, you know?"

Seonghwa bit his lip at the teasing lilt his voice had assumed, but he didn't move when Hongjoong reached down to slowly open Seonghwa's pants with his free hand.

"You had hoped this would happen when you came here, didn't you? Be honest with yourself. You wouldn't have risked it if you weren't so damn curious." He pressed a gentle kiss to the shell of Seonghwa's ear that made the man flinch at the noise. Hongjoong chuckled at him.

When Seonghwa didn't reply, the man pulled back just a bit. He stared down at Seonghwa quizzically as he stroked his thumb over the man's cheek.

"Tell me. You came here for the artefacts, but you couldn't forget about my offer either, right?"

Seonghwa was staring at Hongjoong's lips and God, he knew he wasn't supposed to do that, but Hongjoong just had really pretty lips. Lips that Seonghwa wanted to know what they tasted like. Was it thunder, too?

"...maybe?"

"Maybe is not yes, Seonghwa."

Ah, right. He was asking for more than just the answer on this topic.

Seonghwa nibbled on his lip for a few more seconds before nodding slowly and squeaking out a tiny yes while he avoided Hongjoong's eyes. He had spent the whole flight here thinking about their conversation in Japan, about what Hongjoong had said. And thinking about it like that had made Seonghwa too curious indeed. Not only if he would manage to get Hongjoong in the same position but also if he could actually take a knot as well. And maybe he wanted to try that with Hongjoong even more than with San.

He also definitely didn't search the internet upon that topic. There was no browser history to expose him.

"Alright. Tell me immediately if I hurt you, we don't want that."

Seonghwa's slow brain was still catching up with what he had said when Hongjoong already fell down on the bed next to Seonghwa. With a few quick pulls, he had Seonghwa seated on his lap while he slowly peeled his pants off him. Seonghwa was not looking at him, instead embarrassedly hiding his wavering gaze in some corner of the room. He felt himself losing his clothes, and weirdly enough, he felt shy about it despite Hongjoong having been down there more than once anyway.

Seonghwa was just kicking off his pants when Hongjoong reached over to his nightstand to bring a little vial of oil out. He stripped out of his shirt before setting it down on his chest and grabbing onto Seonghwa's hips again.

"You do it. Your fingers are longer."

Seonghwa didn't hesitate to take up the task. With this, he at least knew what he was doing, his body quite used to it. Whenever Seonghwa decided to sleep with Yunho, he needed excessive preparation, too, so at least he knew how to get his body to open up easily.

Seonghwa carefully coated his fingers in the oil and just reached around his body to insert the first one, when Hongjoong suddenly grabbed onto his thighs again.

"Wait a moment," the other man murmured distractedly and reached for a pillow he could prob his head up on. Then, he pulled Seonghwa closer to his face until he could reach his quickly filling length.

"Knot my mouth while you do it. I can take it."

"Hongjoong, we've been over this, you- hnngh-" Seonghwa dropped the protests when Hongjoong opened wide to take most of him in one go. For a second, Seonghwa's thighs trembled pitifully in Hongjoong's grip, then he managed to get to work.

The first two fingers were always easy for him, and due to Hongjoong's methods of distraction even the third one slipped in fairly easily. However, from that on, it got difficult, and Seonghwa found his hairline dripping with sweat by the time he finally worked up to the fourth one. He was gently thrusting down Hongjoong's throat with every push and pull of the man's hands on him, completely controlled.

Seonghwa gave an impatient whine when the stretch was already so much for him, clearly not used to it. He uselessly switched between fucking his hips down Hongjoong's throat and back on his fingers as if his body was not able to do anything else.

Hongjoong's fingers joining his inside to press against his prostate was what made Seonghwa come soon. His eyes rolled back to the feeling of Hongjoong's thumb hooking inside, and then he was already releasing down the man's throat with weak jerks of his hips.

With teary eyes, Hongjoong fought to swallow around him frantically to keep himself from suffocating, and every tightening of his throat around Seonghwa's length made him whine.

He gave his best to hold still then, not wanting to hurt his companion even as they stretched him out until seven fingers from which three didn't belong to Seonghwa gently massaged his insides. It was more than Seonghwa had ever taken before, and even knowing that this would be enough to have Yunho slip inside with no resistance at all, a knot would be as big as a fist.

"Hong-" By the time Seonghwa started writhing from the overstimulation, his knot had thankfully deflated enough to slip free from Hongjoong's lips. When Seonghwa slowly pulled out, he found Hongjoong's lips reddened and swollen from their strenuous task.

"Shh, I'll stop. Come on, lay down, you look ready to collapse."

Hongjoong's arms were surprisingly gentle as they embraced Seonghwa to roll them around and bring the twitching man underneath. For a second, Hongjoong sat above him with wild hair and flushed skin, then he decided to push his pants off.

Seonghwa weakly reached out for him to brush his fingers over the tattoo of the Aurora Borealis on Hongjoong's forearm. He had seen it quite some time and thought it quite pretty, dare he say.

Hongjoong was slicking up his length and settling between Seonghwa's legs when the whole thought of this caught up with him one more time.

He was really doing this. He was really going to let his rival and an alpha knot him. And oddly enough, that made another wave of pleasure force Seonghwa's body to ache.

Hongjoong looked up once more to check on Seonghwa before doing anything. His big eyes met Seonghwa's narrowed ones.

"Do it already, I don't have all day." Seonghwa reached out to pull Hongjoong in by his hips impatiently. He had taken long enough to decide to actually do this, now he would follow through with it.

Hongjoong slipped inside smoothly, right up until his knot. Like this, he was about two thirds in, and despite it not being the deepest Seonghwa had ever taken, it punched his breath out of his lungs. For a minute, he tried to collect himself but couldn't because this was Hongjoong he had in between his legs. Hongjoong with his gorgeous body form, and cheeky grin, and dangerous scent.

In the end, Seonghwa had to turn away his head again in order to survive against the onslaught of sensations that hit him. Hongjoong chuckled at his defiance and leaned down until their chests brushed against each other. His first thrust was accompanied by a gentle lick over Seonghwa's ear that made him shudder and claw at Hongjoong's hands.

With every gentle thrust, he could feel the pull of the man's growing knot on his rim. While it seemed impossibly big already, Seonghwa also felt excited to take it. He wanted to show Hongjoong he could.

"I still can't believe you're letting me do this. Mighty Alpha Lord Park is spread out in front of me, and I'm about to breed him full of my cum. That would make it on the cover of every magazine," Hongjoong rasped rawly around his abused throat, and Seonghwa threw his head back overheatedly. His fingers were digging into Hongjoong's shoulders, too busy holding on to explore the other man's body.

Hongjoong grabbed Seonghwa's thighs again and pulled back slowly to slip in deeper, testing the waters. The further his knot spread open Seonghwa, the wider his lips dropped open in a soundless moan.

So far, it still felt good. The stretch was nothing more than a little pull, no pain involved. With lidded eyes, he nodded at Hongjoong that he was alright when the man worriedly glanced down between their sweaty bodies.

When his not yet fully formed knot finally slipped inside, and Hongjoong bottomed out, Seonghwa threw his head back with a choked out moan. Hongjoong used the moment to scent him and suck a few calming hickeys into Seonghwa's skin right away. With breathy groans, Seonghwa got used to the size that seemed to only fill out more inside of him as Hongjoong approached his orgasm.

After another long moment, Seonghwa weakly rolled his hips down that would for sure hurt like death in the morning, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Hongjoong picked up on the hint right away and started up his thrusting game again. This time, he pushed his knot inside with every thrust too, and after a few first careful movements, he finally picked up speed.

Seonghwa weakly held onto the man as he just took it, his own length neglected on his stomach where it was angrily leaking precum again. The stench of sex nearly choked him, with both of their pheromones fogging up each other's brains. The one thing that Seonghwa still very much noticed despite the delicious pleasure was the dirty sound of their slick skin slapping against each other.

"Seonghwa- I- I'm gonna come."

Seonghwa just made some noise that was meant to translate to 'go on.'

Hongjoong ducked down to Seonghwa's neck with his teeth ready to strike, but Seonghwa reacted in the right moment. He caught the man's lips with his before the instinct to bite Seonghwa overpowered him, and they finally shared their first kiss just as a violent shudder took over Hongjoong. One last time he forced his knot inside, this time with noticeable difficulty, and then stilled, his muscles locking up.

They were not even kissing at this point. Both of them breathed harshly against each other's lips as they concentrated on the feel between them. Seonghwa already felt so full that when Hongjoong's knot finally inflated just a bit more to lock them together, his body nearly tried to avoid the pressure. However, Hongjoong held his hips firmly enough to bruise them as he came with deep, shuddering breaths and filled up Seonghwa even more.

The pressure soon became too much, Seonghwa's legs trashing as he had no way of pulling off without causing them both a trip to the ER. He also came somewhen without even noticing, too busy getting overwhelmed by the feeling inside. By the time Hongjoong stopped coming, Seonghwa's stomach was bulging just barely enough for him to see.

It was uncomfortable with the amount of liquid inside of him without him being able to run to the toilet to get it out, but Seonghwa couldn't care less. He just dropped his heavy head back in the pillows and carefully shifted his weak legs so he could lay down comfortably without jostling their crotches.

"Oh, God, I'm queasy."

Hongjoong gave a breathless laugh as he leaned over Seonghwa to kiss off bits of his drool that had collected in the corners of his mouth.

"It's because you don't have a womb to fill. It will get better soon, though. I'll help you get it all out as soon as we can move again, too."

Seonghwa gave a tired nod as he watched Hongjoong pull back with a breathless grin on his lips. His tanned skin was glowing with sweat, and his hair stuck to his head, yet he was undeniably attractive.

"Was it worth it? Getting bred and knotted?"

Seonghwa rolled his eyes at him, moving to push back his own sweaty hair.

"I might need some time before I want to go all the way again, but it sure motivated me to do the same thing to you next time."

Hongjoong gave a crude smile before settling down on Seonghwa's chest slowly and carefully so they could rest together.

"Alright, I think that's fair."


	20. The Storm after the Calm

Seonghwa awoke to an exaggerated cough coming from the door of the room. As he blinked his eyes open, the first thing he saw was a mop of red hair fanning out over his chest and neck. Contrary to Seonghwa, the owner of said fiery red hair was still slumbering with parted lips, and his cheek squished against Seonghwa's chest. It pushed his full lips out just a little, creating the illusion of him being far younger and cuter than he actually was.

What a weird thought to think.

Confused where the earlier noise had come from, Seonghwa turned his head towards the door and tried to recognize the man with the tiny little ponytail standing there. Wooyoung, that had to be Wooyoung.

Seonghwa blinked at him, and his lazy smirk until the weight of the situation finally settled.

And oh. 

_Oh_.

Seonghwa blushed as deep red as Hongjoong's hair. He had not planned to fall asleep at all. He had wanted to take a shower and leave right after Hongjoong had calmed down enough, yet here he was, and a new morning had begun. And they were cuddling like some teeny couple that tried to reinvent romance.

Wooyoung giggled at his shyness, his laughter high and squeaky like the playful calls of a dolphin. It was adorable and kind of remembered Seonghwa of San. A match made in... computer networking systems.

"San has been trying to reach out to you for quite some time now, it seems like it's important. Figured I'd wake you already." He threw Seonghwa his comm from the dresser with a flick of his wrist, and Seonghwa watched it flop onto the mattress next to him. Tiredly, he reached over Hongjoong to grab it, careful not to jostle the man too much.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly noon. We still got breakfast for you two, though. Just join us downstairs whenever you feel like it. No worries, nobody will attack you, even if you get there without Hongie."

So they called him Hongie, huh. That was oddly cute.

Seonghwa nodded thankfully. While Wooyoung disappeared, he put the comm in his ear again. While it reconnected, he cautiously glanced down at Hongjoong. 

Hongie.

Seonghwa tried to ignore how fond his warm heart seemed to be of the man and instead focused on San, who hissed into his ear. Lazily he dropped his head back into the pillows. He was so warm and comfortable right now, he could stay like this forever.

"Thank God, I finally got through. How is it that Wooyoung and I do more work than the two of you combined?!"

Seonghwa gave a lazy chuckle.

"I'm just the character in your game, Sannie, you direct my every step. What did you want to talk about?"

"Give me a minute, is that still Hongjoong's room? Wow, will _you_ ditch the pack by any chance?"

"Never Yeosang," Seonghwa cheekily replied while San called said omega over. When Yeosang had arrived, they could finally discuss their war council.

"You're not going to believe where this leads. We checked seven times, but it's for real," Yeosang opened up right away. His deep voice was excited and fast enough that Seonghwa had trouble following after having his brains fucked out the night before. Yet, he felt happiness please his insides when he heard his pack being fun and relaxed as always.

"Oh, you're going to find me extremely credulous today."

"Cornwall."

Seonghwa blinked, dumbfounded. They had started this in Bolivia, why the hell would it be there? He took a while to catch up.

"As in, take the M5 to the A30 Cornwall?"

"As the crow flies."

Alright, this was weird. But then again, they would probably find out why it was like this very soon. There had to be some connection between the pieces and the locations they were in. Sure, some had been moved, just like the one in Japan, yet they seemed to be literally spilt all over the world.

"You still with Hongjoong?" This time it was Yeosang asking, and because he sounded more curious rather than being as annoying as San's teasing self, Seonghwa decided to be nice enough to answer. They all treasured Yeosang very much, after all.

"Nah, I'm at the hotel nearby. I, uh, I came over after Wooyoung found me in the attic, and-"

Hongjoong's deep chuckle interrupted Seonghwa's theatre play. The sound made his heart freeze in his chest for a long second before it skipped a beat and weirdly galloped on.

"Liar." With that, he pushed himself up on Seonghwa's chest and raised one hand to hide the camera from the curious gazes of his team members. He dipped down smoothly to kiss Seonghwa right on the lips without any hesitation.

For a long second, the man remained frozen before reciprocating the kiss shyly. He was still fairly new to the whole thing about being so intimately close to Hongjoong, but the man's kisses were sweet and so uncomplicated to be sharing.

With a wet sound, Hongjoong let go of him and sat up to stretch languidly. He did so with a playful smile curling around his lips, making him look like a little trickster fairy in the process. Seonghwa absent-mindedly smoothed a hand down the man's flank as he disentangled his long legs from Hongjoong's body.

"Not surprised, to be honest. Can you hand me over to him real quick? I have a few words to say." San sounded like a stern dad already, but Seonghwa complied with a sigh. No use in trying now. He handed over the comm with a roll of his eyes, and Hongjoong accepted it with curious eyes. He fixed it on his ear while Seonghwa's hand travelled down to the man's shin, where he could spot another tattoo.

When he tried to sit up, a sharp pain shot through his hips, making him gasp for air. Hongjoong threw him a panicked glance before throwing his leg over Songhwa's chest to press him down into the soft mattress again. Seonghwa complied without even trying to push him off. God, that hurt.

Nervously biting his lips, Seonghwa waited for Hongjoong to finish so they could check if he were bleeding or something. He could treat so many wounds, yet getting hurt for having sex that he wasn't supposed to have sounded stupid even to his ears.

Seonghwa mindlessly turned Hongjoong's muscular leg so he could look at the tattoo there while Hongjoong sweet-talked San into letting him live.

It was three minions. Literal minions, from the movie. Three of them were floating little and yellow over Hongjoong's leg, and it was uselessly stupid and adorable. It oddly fitted his personality.

"Alright, send it to me, then... No, not Wooyoung. You know, I can do computers, too. I'll make sure that you don't have access then anymore... Well, you can try if you dare... I will. Let's meet there then, I'll take him."

Hongjoong ended the conversation quickly and handed the device back that Seonghwa put down on the pillow instead of his ear for now. He was not ready to face San's wrath yet. 

"What is he supposed to send to you? Are you teaming up with my pack again?"

Hongjoong just gave a mysterious grin that could mean anything but refrained from replying. Seonghwa wanted to kick him, but for the sake of his hips, he didn't.

"Does it hurt? I can get you some painkillers." Hongjoong carefully shifted back on his knees to peek down between Seonghwa's open legs. He didn't dare touch, but a weird glint flickered through his eyes for a second. Seonghwa decided to ignore it. He would only judge the man's breeding kink if his fighting kink got endangered.

"It's alright; I don't think I'm bleeding or anything. It's just that you probably bruised some things inside that normally wouldn't be bothered." Seonghwa gave him a smile that felt more like a pained grimace on his face, and that Hongjoong responded to with a rectangular grin.

"I'll make it up to you. You can take a bath first and then eat some food, alright?"

Embarrassed, Seonghwa threw his arm over his eyes, shielding them from view. He was an alpha for god's sake, what was this man doing?

"Have you become my mom overnight? Ruddy incest," he tried to play it off while Hongjoong stood up from the bed and crossed the room.

He left the door open as he entered the bathroom one room over, and shortly after, the rushing of water in a tub could be heard.

"You know it wouldn't be incest if you made me your husband instead!" Hongjoong cheerfully called back, and Seonghwa nearly choked on his spit.

"Kim!" he yelled at the same time that a furious 'Hongjoong!' sounded from downstairs. It made Seonghwa giggle despite the circumstances. He bet Hongjoong's pack was as fed up with him as Seonghwa's friends at home were.

Hongjoong came back a few minutes later with a cheeky grin etched onto his face. When Seonghwa rolled his eyes at him, it grew even wider. As he averted his eyes from the man's attractive face, Seonghwa tried hard not to stare at certain body parts of the other man that had messed up his insides the night before. He failed gloriously.

"So, will you tell me where the last piece is, or do you want to go alone?" Hongjoong carefully closed Seonghwa's lax legs so he could reach underneath them with one arm and prop Seonghwa's back up with the other. When Seonghwa understood what he was doing, he reached out with one hand for Hongjoong's shoulder, the other panickedly reached for the blanket that was out of his reach. The only thing he managed to grab was his earpiece, and he quickly clutched it to his chest to have his pack with him when he died.

"You can't lift me, please spare me the fall."

With an indignant huff, Hongjoong heaved him up and started walking comfortably while Seonghwa scaredly clung to him. How did he keep underestimating Hongjoong? 

The man calmly carried Seonghwa over to the tub and set him down in the water with the utmost care as if he was handling glass. Seonghwa couldn't fathom why his rival would do that even when he liked Seonghwa, but he wouldn't complain. It was Hongjoong's fault Seonghwa was not up for walking after all.

The bath smelled of roses as Seonghwa got comfortable and settled for playing with the bubbles around him. Maybe he appreciated the gesture just a little more than he wanted to admit, but he managed to play it off while Hongjoong brought some of his clothes for Seonghwa. He then stepped in the shower and proceeded to wash his body while Seonghwa took care of the grime in his own hair.

"I'll tell you where it is if you accompany me home after that trip." Seonghwa fake-nonchalantly sorted through the bottles around him in search of a smell he liked with shaking fingers. He settled for some fresh grassy one that reminded him of San. Washing his body at least distracted him.

"I can do that. That means you will get a comfy and fast trip with the chopper," Hongjoong hummed smoothly, and Seonghwa cursed his mind for loving the domestics of the situation. The thought of asking Hongjoong to spend another night because his hips hurt too much to go now, and ending up cuddling again shouldn't sit this well with Seonghwa.

He had a whole pack to cuddle and sleep with, how was he so infatuated with this one man?

"Sounds good. We're going to Cornwall."

"Cornwall, huh. I've heard they got some questionably authentic archaeological findings on King Arther. I assume his name has come up for you before, too?" Hongjoong finished earlier than Seonghwa and stepped out of the shower to towel off. He put on new sweatpants and a simple black shirt that he looked unfairly good in.

"It did. Let's see how much of it is actually true."

Hongjoong nodded before he knelt down on the soft rug next to the tub. Seonghwa curiously watched as he seemed indecisive in his plan after that. He was frowning cutely as he looked between Seonghwa and the shower.

"Do you want me to wash the rest of my cum out of you with water or let gravity do that for you?"

Seonghwa tried to look not too excited at the question. He played it off with a cough that gained him a suspicious glance from Hongjoong.

"No, I... I'd rather do it via gravity. Don't want to mess it up even more. If you can lend more pants later?"

That gained Seonghwa a gentle pat on his knee before Hongjoong rose again.

"Alright. Call me when you're done, I'm gonna go check on the boys."

Seonghwa waited until he had closed the door behind him to hide his face in his hands blushingly once more.

He would totally love the feeling of the man's come dripping out of him while his pack was around to smell it. Weirdly enough, it was similar to having Hongjoong claim him via a bite, but Seonghwa would not think about that now.


	21. Back to the Roots

Eating with Hongjoong's pack had gone reasonably well. Wooyoung maybe nearly choked on his salad when Seonghwa shifted at the discomfort of having Hongjoong's come soak his pants. Mingi kept throwing him weird glances, but he was too busy wolfing his food down to care much about Seonghwa. Jongho just ate, also, but Seonghwa could have sworn he once heard something along the lines of 'don't get that on my seats' muttered underneath his breath.

In all, they were far more civil than Seonghwa's pack would have been towards Hongjoong, and he thought that was hilarious. San alone would suffice in spilling Hongjoong's guts all over the floor, and Yeosang would probably set his dead body aflame while Yunho held Seonghwa down. They made an interesting comparison, and it was painfully apparent that Hongjoong was their alpha with the way they all were drawn to him like moths to a flame.

After their only slightly awkward breakfast, Seonghwa had allowed Hongjoong to carry him back up into his room. He had already put on fresh sheets on the bed while Seonghwa had been in the bathtub, and they smelled heavenly of him as Seonghwa buried his nose in the blanket.

"Actually, I would have loved to take you to the basement to my sex dungeon now," Hongjoong casually dropped on him while he walked over to his bookshelves and began sorting through his collection.

Seonghwa choked on his spit, his hips throbbing in protest. In general, he was so not ready for more sex with Hongjoong right now; he was still digesting all that had happened the night before between them anyway!

"Your what?!"

"The gym, are your ears, alright? I'd have loved to have you teach me some of your tricks. And show you some of mine, of course." He threw a flirty wink over his shoulder that had Seonghwa gaping at him once again. That was not what he has said in the beginning — sly little bastard.

"But then again, that's not an option. So you know what we're gonna do now? Study your great King Arthur." With that, he came over to drop a stack of books in front of Seonghwa. He fetched his laptop, too.

"Wow, here I am, getting pulled into your net of being oddly nice to me suddenly and making me all woozy. Yet, the time we could spend bonding includes a third party."

Hongjoong climbed over his body to drop down next to him with a huff. He rolled over onto his stomach and opened his laptop to select the app for video chatting.

"You know us bonding right now would end in things made of lead stuck inside our bodies that we don't want there. Plus, it also includes a fourth party. Pull up your info guy." He gently nudged the laptop over to Seonghwa so he could type in the keys with a sigh.

And despite them not having the horrible first date small-talk, sitting like this and laughing about stupid myths felt way more domestic than any forced conversation could have been. Yeosang rolled his eyes at them multiple times, but Seonghwa could not help falling in love with Hongjoong's smiling face more and more.

Or rather, not falling. Just falling deeper than he had already done a long time ago.

-

Seonghwa jumped out of the chopper, feeling refreshed and stretching his legs languidly. They had departed earlier than expected after he had taken some pain killers and soon felt better. Thus, they had spent their evening flying over to Cornwall to meet Seonghwa's team there while both Hongjoong and Seonghwa had caught up on some sleep leaning against each other's shoulders.

Wooyoung had gagged at the sight of them multiple times, but Seonghwa couldn't care less. It was not as if Hongjoong's pack not only continually supported him with his weird interest in Seonghwa, but they also kept throwing him the warmest glances. Seonghwa was positive his pack was all too willing to receive this mess of a relationship.

With a little skip in his step, Seonghwa went over to the jeep that was parked in front of the grand abandoned building. A hanging sign read something like 'King Arthur Tomb Access.' It had the energy of a carnival attraction, surely not a regular archaeological. It seemed to be highly fake, but Seonghwa would worry about that later.

San was already leaning his head and one arm out of the driver's side of their car when Seonghwa approached them with a big smile. The other alpha's nose scrunched just a little, but by now, he seemed to get used to Hongjoong's scent clinging to Seonghwa.

"Yo. How was your knotting session?" He smirked cheekily right away and gained himself a punch to the shoulder for that. Yeosang giggled at them from the backseat, where he was sitting with his laptop that had self-made stickers all over it perched on his lap.

"Leave the man alone, he's having a gender crisis right now."

San seemed to want to add another nasty comment, but fell quiet when he noticed Hongjoong's pack getting out of the chopper in the back. Wooyoung was there, all cute and giggly about something Jongho had said to him, and San's eyes immediately stuck to him.

"Go, say hi." Seonghwa rolled his eyes as he opened the door for the other man to step out and nodded at Yeosang not to be shy, too.

"Might as well introduce you if you are working together right now. Let's go to eat together after."

Yeosang narrowed his eyes at Seonghwa, but he did get out of the car obediently. They had not taken Yunho to have a backup at home, but Seonghwa would invite him over when they went to eat later for sure.

Yeosang had to jump a little to get out of the big jeep, and Seonghwa simply caught him in his arms as the man stumbled right into them. They hugged for a moment while Yeosang curiously sniffed at Seonghwa's shirt.

"I like how your scents mix. It's kinda nice," he murmured appreciatively, and warmly, Seonghwa petted his head before letting him go. Yeosang gave him a change of clothes to switch into, and soon, Seonghwa felt like himself in his rider gear again.

He brought Yeosang over to the group in which Mingi had by now taken the wheel, and was trying to order everybody around. At the same time, Wooyoung and San didn't even listen as they were too immersed in being lovey-dovey.

Hongjoong smiled at Yeosang in greeting, and Yeosang returned the gesture a tad more awkwardly but earnest.

"Alright, listen up. So this here is Yeosang and San." He pointed at both of them, respectively. "My last pack member is still at home, but you can meet him later."

Hongjoong was civil enough to extend his hand to both of them and greet them politely. San received the greeting with more suspiciousness out of the two of them, but he played nice.

"My turn, then. The man we can't access right now because you're busy scenting him is Wooyoung, my little brother. And this friend here is Mingi, my engineer dude. Also, Jongho, our driver."

Jongho nodded coolly at the other two while Mingi greeted them again, loudly. Wooyoung dropped a little 'nice to meet you!' on Yeosang, too.

In all, the introductions were not as forced as Seonghwa had feared for them to be. Sure, the circumstances of them meeting because their pack alphas had some sort of weird affliction with each other was different than most, but they all still took it well. Seonghwa was very much satisfied with that.

"Now, let's see. There seems to be a fine line between coincidence and irony," Seonghwa muttered as he turned around to their weird theme park again. Hongjoong stepped up to him to hand him his shotgun that Seonghwa fastened on his back as usual.

"You sure about that map?" San disentangled his arms from Wooyoung's body to follow Yeosang to their car as he showed them their route on his laptop again. Indeed, the photo they had taken of the map matched the location.

"Unfortunately. There was some nonsense about the discovery of the real King Arthur's tomb here years ago, soon discredited. And yet another roadside attraction was born." Yeosang glanced up at the old building disbelievingly. Seonghwa gently patted his shoulder.

"Well, let's see what we can get, shall we? At least it should be educational."

Hongjoong stepped up next to Seonghwa as he moved to grab one of the downpipes framing the walls and testing if it would carry his weight. It seemed like it, and Seonghwa just put his boot on the wall to start climbing, when Hongjoong decided to gently pat his behind. With a squawk, Seonghwa turned to glare at him.

"Careful with your hips. Tell me if you need a break, old man."

Distantly, they could hear Yeosang choking and Jongho hollering at Hongjoong again.

Seonghwa slapped the man's hand off indignantly and tried to fight back his smile.

"I could say the same to you. Now shut up, you're way too talkative for what you've put your throat through yesterday." With that, he hurried to move before San could throw a hard object at him.

A gentle drizzle started to come down from the dark skies above them as Seonghwa effortlessly mounted the wall and turned on the little flashlight he wore on his dark-red leather jacket. With it spending a bit of light, he looked around in the abandoned yard and towards the opened door in front of him that claimed to lead to a paradise of myths and legends.

When Hongjoong read the old and rusty sign asking them to please not damage anything inside, he gave a snort.

"Let's see if whatever they got inside is bulletproof."

Seonghwa merely chuckled at the man's sarcasm and moved to enter the building.

Despite being used to working alone, having Hongjoong around was not even half as bad as Seonghwa would have thought. Their rivalry had never been about actually hating each other. It had been a competition full of respect for the other person, and after having seen Hongjoong's soft side, Seonghwa now wondered how they never thought about working together.

It must have been because both of them were independent alphas, too proud to admit to one of the same kind. Thus, they had fought each other for years only to stumble into bed together in the end anyway.

Seonghwa supposed it made a lot of sense. In the end, Hongjoong had always been an attractive man, no matter how hard Seonghwa had tried to deny that fact to concentrate on his work. And despite him being an alpha, too.

"I'm not even sure if I want to listen to whatever disgusting conversations you two are about to have, but then again Yeosang will kill me if you fall down into a ditch, and we won't hear you scream," San lazily commented in his ear while Seonghwa kicked down the sad reminder of a wooden singing figure portraying Lancelot to his left.

"Sounds kinda like Yeosang wants to hear me scream. What are you doing out there? I hope you won't make any trouble."

At that, the man laughed infectiously. Seonghwa smiled while he jumped over some suspiciously loose wooden boards. Hongjoong was crossing the room on the other side and looking for hints in the dark and wet building that reeked of mould.

"Me? Making trouble? Hah, never. No, no, I'm here with Yeosangie and Wooyoungie while Jongho is taking a nap in his chopper, and Mingi has gone to get us some snacks. It's quite comfy here."

"Are you making both of them suck your dick right now, San?" Seonghwa asked teasingly, but without any malicious intent. San was playful like that, and Seonghwa had long since stopped asking every time if that was the right decision.

Instead of an answer, San just shifted the mic, so Seonghwa could indeed hear the telltale sounds of wet mouths dirtily licking and sucking away. Seonghwa grimaced at the unusual ASMR he received.

"I see you're having fun. Don't complain then if Hongjoong and I talk. I dare say the noises from your side are worse." Seonghwa balanced over a thin edge and over to another part of useless story showcased by wooden boards in the ground. Hongjoong arrived at the same time and checked on Seonghwa before they went deeper into the old building.

"I got it all on camera, just saying. Now you go have fun while I figure out how to last longer than two minutes. Happy digging." He cut off then, and left Seonghwa to deal with Hongjoong's soft smile that was way worse than San's escapades could ever be. Because it moved Seonghwa's heart in a way, he was not ready for.


	22. Arthur's Heritage

"To be completely honest with you, I'm surprised that you're so calm. I expected more resistance concerning this whole aftermath."

Seonghwa lifted his eyes to glance at Hongjoong, who had just kicked down the door leading to the storage area of their fun carnival house. The statement had come sudden, given that so far. they had only talked to inform each other about mission-related notices. Quietly, he followed after the man in the catsuit as he waited for him to continue.

Hongjoong pushed his hair back while crossing the storage hall. He was looking for anything that might lead to an actual digging area, if not at least a hint to where they had searched. Seonghwa spotted the weird patch of wall that was poorly hidden behind some crates first. He walked over to start throwing the empty wooden boxes off.

"You know, seeing as I told you about seven times that I like you, and you still didn't react for a very long time. I had suspected that opinion might have changed when you actually came to me, but..."

Seonghwa kicked the last crate off before pushing open the hidden door with a resounding screech. Hongjoong followed him down the dark stone tunnel and shone their way with his own flashlight.

"Let's put it like this... You had nothing to change. I was too unwilling to admit a lot of things before deciding it was not worth it anymore." Seonghwa pushed open the second door, too, and stepped out into a vast room that seemed to have no floor and instead lost itself in endless blackness.

Now that seemed more like it.

"I see. So I was right. I wouldn't have been so confident to approach you if I hadn't been convinced that you just denied it." Hongjoong smirked wryly at him and then opened his backpack to pull out a long metal wire. While he set it up at the door behind them, Seonghwa tried to shine his light down the depths in tries to see something.

"I think I can see the bottom, but it's like thirty meters deep."

"These are twenty-eight. Seems like our lucky day. I'll go first." With that, Hongjoong wrapped the end of the rope around his waist and fearlessly jumped into the depths. Seonghwa followed his fall with his flashlight that glinted over the lines of his body.

When the rope was pulled taut, Seonghwa checked again on the door to find it still firmly secured.

"Good calculating skills. I can just drop down from here. Come on."

Seonghwa followed him a tad slower but fast enough that San would have winced had he not been busy right now.

Seonghwa securely dropped to his feet next to Hongjoong and looked around for another entrance.

There was only one, another gloomy tunnel, and they went right there.

It was pretty dark, but there were no signs of anything or anybody down here, at least. Seonghwa didn't expect to be using his weapon today, and that was good news.

There was also the distant noise of water dripping further down the tunnels. Assuming they had found whatever they had searched for, it was close to a larger body of water.

Seonghwa kept his eyes open for their surroundings while Hongjoong marched straight ahead. Out of protectiveness, Seonghwa was used to always walk just a bit behind his companions in order to watch their backs. Slipping into that role to smoothly with Hongjoong quite amused Seonghwa, yet he couldn't help but look at the man's long legs either.

Hongjoong might have been a small alpha, but he was mostly made of leg for sure. And Seonghwa was convinced that the man would look gorgeous in heels.

Hitting those stupid thoughts out of his head, Seonghwa concentrated on their rough path and the sound of water that seemed to draw nearer with every step they took. So far, they hadn't run into any traps, making the obtainment of this splitter smoother than any before.

"So tell me... What are you going to do to me when we get back to Oxford? We won't go sightseeing, now, will we?" Hongjoong threw a cheeky smirk over his shoulder that reminded Seonghwa of the mischievous little pixies from the Highlands.

Seonghwa tried to look like a good Christian boy. Fair, they were going for a Christian king right now, after all.

"Oh, you know... Some food, perhaps some sensual music, and my come in your body," Seonghwa smiled sweetly at the other man before jumping after him down into another part of the cave.

Now, finally, they had found what they looking for. And it was far more magnificent than Seonghwa had expected.

"Sounds perfect. I knew you were the romantic type," was the last thing Hongjoong whispered, stunned by the view that manifested in front of them.

They were above a huge lake. A lake that seemed bottomless and led into depths that Seonghwa would rather not explore in too much detail. It was surrounded by a line of huge boulders that then melted into the walls save for one single shore.

And on that shore, growing out of the cave like some ancient monster, there was a building. A few fireplaces lit it in what seemed to be dirty golden bowls. The light reached barely until the water, making it reflect the tomb and appear just the more mysterious.

Seonghwa nodded his head at the sight before fearlessly jumping down and into the cold water. While he swam, he didn't dare take his eyes off the construction for even a second. He was far too amazed by the intricate details the facade and the statues on it showed.

"This looks pretty real to me." It was Yeosang commenting in his ear, his voice seeming just as breathy as Seonghwa felt.

"It's gorgeous."

Seonghwa reached the edge of the cold lake quite fast and pulled himself up on the stones to wait for Hongjoong to arrive. He did soon after and elegantly sank down next to Seonghwa like a luscious siren. For a second, they just sat and stared at the massive building, before Hongjoong stood up first.

"Alright, let's go. Last piece." With a smile painting his lips, he reached his hand out for Seonghwa and pulled him up to his feet. Seonghwa stepped in just a tad too close, and suddenly they were chest to chest and breathing against each other's skin.

Hongjoong had the perfect height for Seonghwa to give him forehead kisses.

"Are you gonna betray me? Was that what it was all about?" Seonghwa rasped against the other man's ear as his hand subtly settled on the other man's waist.

Their scents were mingling again, here, in the dark depths of a grave where Hongjoong had no reason not to wear it boldly. Seonghwa kept wondering how the man could smell nice to him, being another alpha that didn't belong to his pack. Usually, he would have reacted like San, repelled by the stench, and yet he couldn't get enough. He wanted to bury his nose in Hongjoong's skin and maybe leave a little kiss there.

Or a bite.

Seonghwa shuddered at the thought suddenly penetrating his mind. Biting Hongjoong sounded... oddly attractive.

"Oh, Seonghwa, are you still that oblivious? It's not me, who lured you in. It's quite the other way around. Imagine my confusion when I smelled you all those years ago in that grave in Peru, and your scent was like the sweetest honey. I fact-checked at least a hundred times. Yet, you were an alpha, and you kept announcing that proudly to the world." Hongjoong chuckled to himself as he went on his tippy toes to press a shy kiss to Seonghwa's cheek.

Seonghwa instinctively pulled him closer, nuzzling into the man's wet hair.

"So, what do I smell like to you?"

Hongjoong showed a bright smile.

"Home. You smell like home."

And damn yes, he was right.

Hongjoong smelled like home to Seonghwa too.

It was not as if he smelled different to Seonghwa than to other people. But it was a little thing that Seonghwa personally remembered, a scent hidden deep inside.

England had always been a rainy place, and a thunderstorm had caused the plane accident in which Seonghwa had lost his mother.

Hongjoong was his past, his present, and his future. Hongjoong smelled like family, like home.

That meant that Hongjoong connected his smell of fire with home, too. A thing only Hongjoong could do since it was his heart that remembered such details.

They had found each other in an odd place and had advanced in a particular relationship that Hongjoong had desperately tried not to force on Seonghwa via his smell. And yet, Seonghwa had pursued him until he had known.

Hongjoong was not going to betray him.

Seonghwa nodded slowly before pressing a fleeting kiss to Hongjoong's forehead, just because he had to make use of the situation.

"Then let's go."

With that, they parted again and went over to push the grand doors open one each. They cracked dangerously under the force but gave way thanks to the aids the other gravediggers had left here.

Seonghwa looked around in the round hall for a second, trying to recognise something in the rubble that seemed to cover all of the floors. The whole thing seemed to be threatening to break down at any moment.

There were a lot of graves in a circular order lining the walls and leading to a much grander pedestal in the back of the room. That had to be it.

"Signal's poor, Hwa. What are we looking at?"

Seonghwa stepped in carefully, with Hongjoong following right behind to not trigger anything.

"We're looking at the myth. Except it's real. They're all here - the court of Camelot."

"Damn... You're sure?" Yeosang couldn't believe it either, making Seonghwa chuckle. He eyed the ceiling as he stepped over to the central grave.

He found two more bodies there that weren't sealed away in old coffins. They were two workers, as it seemed, their long dried blood creating ugly patches around where they had been smashed to pulps by falling stones. Their artificial light illuminated the scene sickly, making their deaths seem all the more useless to humanity.

Hongjoong made a disapproving noise as he stepped over and examined the metal bars they had tried to lever open the heavy lid of Arthur's coffin with.

"It says Morgan La Fay returned a fragment of the amulet to Arthur after the other pieces were carried off by the knights." Seonghwa stepped over to the other side of the gadget and wrapped his fingers around the hand gear. After a glance at Hongjoong, they started pressing down at the same time.

San squeaked warningly at the noise of stone grinding against stone, but nothing dropped down on them. There was nothing more to fall.

They opened the coffin just far enough for Seonghwa to slip his hand inside. He felt over brittle stones and rotting clothes until he found the familiar piece and pulled it out with a lot of cobwebs attached. Gingerly, he blew them off.

"Arthur Pendragon, king of the Britons. I wouldn't take this if I didn't need it so. I hope you can forgive me," he murmured mostly to himself as he turned to leave. He wouldn't spend a second longer in this damn unstable building.

Hongjoong was silent at his side when they made their way out again. The sound of his boots on the stones was incredibly calming to Seonghwa's ears, especially with what happened next.

"Seonghwa, there's something going on up here... Yeo, Woo, you see that?" San sounded highly alerted, and Seonghwa froze in his steps to listen carefully to the conversation. Hongjoong, too, halted, his eyes wide.

"See what?" That was Wooyoung's sweet voice.

Suddenly, a crash that made Seonghwa flinch sounded. He looked around in the cave panicked first, expecting it to bury them alive. However, when he saw Hongjoong pressing his hands to his ears, he understood, too.

"Ah, hell! Get your hands... Get off..." The signal was crackling as if clothes were being dragged over it. Seonghwa still stood frozen, just his mouth working.

"San! Yeosang!"

"Hey! Let go! Seonghwa!" Yeosang's desperate voice called out one last time, then a crack sounded.

"San! What's happening?!"

There was no answer anymore.

For less than a second, Seonghwa and Hongjoong's eyes met.

Then, they were running. Running through tight tunnels while their flashlights shook, and their breaths bounced off the walls harshly.

They were back at the rope in record time and up even faster. Without caring too much about any scratches and minor bruises they got on their dangerous jumping game back out, they sprinted with only one goal set in their minds.

Save their packs.

Seonghwa had his gun out first and shot down the first man with a weapon he saw outside. There was another one standing pressed up again San and with his weapon at the furious's alpha's forehead. A third one was feeling up both of their omegas at the same time right next to him. Yeosang was frozen in fear at the last gun pointed at them while Wooyoung weakly struggled against the man's abusive fingers.

Hongjoong shot the one in front of San, while Seonghwa took care of the last two.

Jongho and Mingi were out cold on the floor, but they seemed fine. Wooyoung crouched down as soon as he was free, not even bothering to fix his clothes.

Yeosang jumped right into Seonghwa's embrace.

"Are you alright? Oh God, you stink of him, did he bite you?"

Yeosang quickly and shakily shook his head before pressing up against Seonghwa again with all of his body shivering.

Seonghwa worriedly glanced toward Hongjoong, who was kneeling on the ground now, too.

"Let's go home fast and treat them."


	23. The Tables Turn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smuuut. TW for the same things as last time

Yunho had received them right at the entrance and taken Yeosang in his arms after they had come home. Mingi and Jongho had thankfully regained consciousness during the journey, even if Jongho was complaining about a headache. They had made sure everybody was accounted for and put to rest in the various rooms in Seonghwa's home. San had hidden himself away in the gym and had been angrily punching away at a dummy when Seonghwa had last checked up on him.

By now, he and Hongjoong were sitting opposite of each other on the couches in Seonghwa's room. Both of them had gotten rid of their heavy gear, and the top few buttons of Seonghwa's shirt were open. He had also rolled up the sleeves to his forearms to work better on the pieces they had collected.

Hongjoong had brought his parts, too, and now it was time to piece them together. According to what Yongguk had told Seonghwa, it created a key to the actual treasure he was searching for, and it was his duty to find it. When Seonghwa had first heard these words they had seemed like a pointless riddle to him, but now he saw it, too. When they pieced the whole round thing together, the middle was still missing. And Seonghwa knew where that heart was. It was in the icy mountains of the Himalaya, still stuck on the jacket his mom had carried in her luggage all those years ago. After the explosion, nobody had ever tried going for the bags, and it seemed like it now was the time to do precisely that.

He told Hongjoong about the story and saw a hint of sympathy and understanding in his features.

"So that was what you meant with your job do to, huh?"

"I recognized the material and trusted Yongguk with it. Now it all makes sense."

Hongjoong un-crossed his legs and leaned forward again to examine the pieces. As he did, Seonghwa got a view of his impressive chest that seemed to push against its restrains of the partly opened catsuit.

Seonghwa made the mistake of letting his eyes travel even lower, down the line of the silver zipper, only to find it disappearing between his legs. That catsuit would sure show a fine few if it were to be opened.

Hongjoong manspreading didn't help the situation. Instead, Seonghwa's eyes were now stuck to things he hadn't seen before with the man having crossed his legs, and he sure was distracted.

It was only when Hongjoong amusedly snapped his fingers in front of Seonghwa's lowered eyes that he noticed how hungrily he had been staring at Hongjoong. Sheepish, he lifted his head again.

"Sorry. I know we have the amulet to struggle with, and also two shaken packs to deal with, but I'm just too tired today. It's been a long few days." Seonghwa closed his eyes with a sigh as he leaned back and pushed his hands through his hair. It was mussed up by all the action today, and some strands were stubbornly falling into his eyes no matter how often he flicked them back.

Hongjoong gave an understanding hum. Then, without further warning, he crawled over the glass desk and right onto Seonghwa's lap.

Startled, the blond man opened his eyes again as he felt Hongjoong's muscular thighs frame his hips, his hand immediately going for his waist. The latex was warm underneath his fingers as he spread them to nearly enclose all of the man. Their eyes met for a moment before Hongjoong ducked down to Hwa's neck to scent him.

"Let me take that edge off you, then. I'll help you relax, and then we'll sleep over it. Nepal can wait until we're ready."

Seonghwa tipped his head back to leave Hongjoong to work as he gently sucked at the still fresh hickeys on Seonghwa's neck to make them deeper and darker. His fingers had deftly started to open the buttons on Seonghwa's shirt while Seonghwa's hands were still skimming over his curves and smoothing down his thighs.

By the time Hongjoong went to unbutton Seonghwa's pants, the man gently halted his movements. Instead of explaining, however, he caught the man's lips in a sweet kiss. He lifted the smaller alpha in his arms, then, and stood to walk over to his large bed. He nearly fell on the way up the stairs with how distracted he was by Hongjoong's pretty and soft lips, but they made it over safely. After setting Hongjoong down, Seonghwa stripped out of his shirt hastily to join his lover back on the bed. Hongjoong was watching him with lidded eyes while he sensually stretched against the sheets, showing off his lines against the stark white background.

"Is it alright if you keep this on?" Seonghwa gently rolled Hongjoong on his stomach and pulled him up onto his knees to his chest and face were pressed into the pillows, but his backside was on full display. Distracted again, Seonghwa smoothed a hand over one clothed globe.

"Sure." The little giggle that escaped Hongjoong at the odd question warmed Seonghwa's heart. While palming his own growing hardness, he reached over to his nightstand to get the lube he kept there. Hongjoong loudly pulled down the zipper to his suit, up until his tailbone where it ended. Like this, his heavy length wasn't restrained anymore, and Seonghwa had full access to anything he needed.

With a smirk, Seonghwa settled behind him and knocked his legs further apart with his knee to get his own leg in between. He allowed Hongjoong to slowly grind down on the leather of his pants while Seonghwa carefully began opening the other man up for his knot.

"With how you asked those two weeks ago, I take it you already had knots shoved up here?"

Hongjoong felt incredibly warm and velvety around Seonghwa's fingers, making him impatient as he rutted against Hongjoong's leg he was kneeling above.

"Yeah... I'll have less of a problem taking it than you had."

Seonghwa snorted at the jab and pushed his fingers purposefully against the man's prostate to remind him of his position. A shaky moan that was mixed with laughter escaped Hongjoong, but he pressed back against Seonghwa's hand anyway. Satisfied, Seonghwa added another finger and enjoyed Hongjoong shakily grinding down on his thigh.

"And how far does your breeding kink extend to yourself? You only want to breed other people, or is the thought of getting bred just as attractive to you?"

With this concept, Seonghwa was very familiar. Yeosang had the biggest thing for it and would basically not let Seonghwa leave after any of their sessions if he wasn't warm and filled with alpha come afterwards. San and Seonghwa loved teasing him about it, but Seonghwa couldn't deny the charm of the concept. Hongjoong had been right. Having him twitching and filled to the brim with Seonghwa's knot and come stuffed inside didn't sound bad at all.

"Give me your all," Hongjoong just breathed brokenly as Seonghwa reached deep inside with four fingers. That, he could do.

Hongjoong was fisting the sheets by the time Seonghwa was finally done with stretching him out. Seonghwa checked on him and his blissed-out face once before slicking up his length and changing their positions so he could completely kneel in between both of Hongjoong's trembling legs. As his tip breached the man smoothly, he got a little moan tumbling out of Hongjoong's curved lips.

At Seonghwa's breathless smile, he got a weak slap to the thigh even as he sunk in deeper. Hongjoong threw his sweaty hair back when Seonghwa finally bottomed out, having it all inside, even his knot that had not fully formed yet. Before he could move, Hongjoong grabbed onto one of Seonghwa's hands, holding onto his hips and held on for dear life.

"Don't move. Fuck, you're... You're big."

Seonghwa gave a chuckle as he stayed carefully still and just gently caressed Hongjoong's flanks.

"That's why you couldn't take me down your throat in the beginning, it was not your fault. But you know, there's a reason why every lady wants a piece of me," Seonghwa teased him smugly and earned himself another slap for that.

"Shut up, they didn't get it, right? All mine right now." He slowly dropped his hand, signalling that it was alright to go.

Seonghwa slowly leaned over him, sliding out halfway in the process.

"Right, all yours." With that, he placed the first experimental thrust that had Hongjoong immediately clutch a pillow with his arms. Despite being an alpha, he looked so thin and tiny like this. The catsuit hugged his body in all the right places, and he was dwarfed by Seonghwa's much larger frame that could cover his completely.

In awe, Seonghwa gently rocked back and forth to get Hongjoong accustomed to his length that seemed obscenely too thick for the man's small body to take.

Seonghwa was surprised at the fresh wave of heat and pleasure that travelled down his body at the thought. Hongjoong's eyebrow rose as he noticed Seonghwa twitching inside of him. However, he didn't ask, just keeping his eyes shut tightly as he slowly began finding their rhythm and pushing back into it. Seonghwa held onto his waist as he switched over to a steady and deep pace, each thrust making Hongjoong arch against him a little.

His sweat dripped onto the dark latex and left little wet circles on the fabric.

The suit was sticky and slippery with sweat in no time, and Hongjoong even had to at least pull it down his shoulders as it got too hot for him. His little breathy sounds kept Seonghwa going tirelessly, but it was not enough.

After a few minutes, Seonghwa let his arms slide under Hongjoong's torso to pull him up to lean back against Seonghwa's body, sitting upright. Now, his sounds were even more apparent as he had no pillow to hide behind, and his breathy whines quickly made Seonghwa clench his teeth as he tried to hold back coming.

Instead, he went to finish off Hongjoong first, so it would be easier to knot him. He pulled the suit, so both metal lines of it rested right against Hongjoong's nipples and would bite him from time to time. His twitches were adorable even as Seonghwa roughly thrust up into him, while his hand helped Hongjoong out.

Hongjoong was holding himself up on Seonghwa's thighs with both hands, and his scent was so thick in the air that Seonghwa allowed himself to nuzzle his neck. He trusted himself not to claim the man suddenly while he wasn't in rut, and indeed, Hongjoong distracted him enough that there was no accident.

The man came with trembles shaking all of his limbs as he tightened so much around Seonghwa that he nearly couldn't fuck Hongjoong through his orgasm. With a curse, Seonghwa grabbed onto the other man's knot tightly to ease the painful discomfort of not being inside something warm. Hongjoong's semen dripped down Seonghwa's fist and onto his thighs, painting the black suit white.

It was incredibly hot to see, and it was the last push Seonghwa needed.

With a deep growl, he grabbed onto Hongjoong's hips again and roughly pushed him down his length. By now, it was challenging to get the knot inside, and Hongjoong gasped warningly the first time it didn't work. Seonghwa tried again then, using more speed and force until it finally pushed inside. Hongjoong whimpered Seonghwa's name breathlessly as did so and shuddered as he felt the first spurt filling him up.

Seonghwa held onto him tightly, gently caressing his stomach and peeling the rest of the suit off his form, too. Hongjoong's hair was dripping with sweat as he dropped his head back against Seonghwa's shoulder, weakly letting himself be speared by the other man.

It took them some time to calm down and Hongjoong to stop shaking like a leaf. He was still cursing from time to time, feeling too full and whining about the same discomfort Seonghwa had felt when he had been on the receiving end of this.

Still, he made sure that Hongjoong wasn't hurting anywhere as he carefully laid them down on his mattress. Hongjoong was curled up against his chest with his small body all warm as Seonghwa engulfed him once more.

"Can you sleep?"

"Sure, just don't move even a millimetre. I'll kill you if you do." Hongjoong dropped his head on his new favourite pillow, ultimately spent. Seonghwa agreed with another chuckle and hugged him close before taking the time to rest, too.


	24. Frosty Memories

Hongjoong looked gorgeous in his black fur coat that reached until the tops of his boots and the white catsuit peeking through on his arms. He and Seonghwa made an odd couple with Seonghwa wearing his soft pink winter jacket and grey cargo pants again.

Jongho was humming to some melody in his head, and his fingers were tapping away on his robust thigh while he was safely steering them through the crystal clear air above Nepal. There was no snow falling at the moment and beneath them were endless hills of untouched white. It looked oddly fake in its perfection, but Seonghwa knew it was treacherous. He had spent more than a week wandering those hills until they found him all those years ago. This piece of earth was not welcoming of visitors.

Yunho was next to Jongho and he had a tablet with Wooyoung, San, Mingi and Yeosang squished on top of each other showing on the screen in his big hands. He laughed with them gleefully and sometimes showed them the snowy landscapes, too, so they could admire them.

Seonghwa was huddled against Hongjoong in the back, and the man had put one of his hands on Seonghwa's thighs. From time to time, he squeezed the alpha's leg gently as if to remind him he was there.

"How old were you when this happened?" Hongjoong spoke hushedly as he didn't want to bother the two in front. Yunho was having a good time with their new friends right now, and even Seonghwa was surprised how smoothly they had fit with each other. Seonghwa had had no time yet to discuss the idea of joining packs with his boys since he and Hongjoong had been a bit too attached to each other for the past few days. Yet, the thought wouldn't leave his mind either. Claim Hongjoong, mate with him afterwards... it made Seonghwa giddy like a little schoolgirl.

They had moved from rivals to lovers so fast and now he considered so much of their future together already. But then again Hongjoong did wait six years for him to get that.

"Aren't you watching the news about me?" Seonghwa playfully asked the other man, who then rolled his eyes. His ears were a little red at the tips, and Seonghwa would have loved to give him a fluffy hat, but he knew it was pointless with all of their dangerous maneuvres.

Hongjoong gently nudged his knee against Seonghwa's, a smirk playing around his lips.

"No, you idiot, it's all thirsting about you. I'm an alpha and a Scorpio. How do you think I react to such news?"

Seonghwa cooed at him, finding him completely adorable.

"Oh, they make you jealous? Oh no, poor baby." He laughed at the indignant slap that was delivered to his thigh and that he barely felt.

"I'm just joking, I don't watch them either if they aren't hilarious in their fakeness. I was nine." Seonghwa leaned back again to look out of the front window and met Mingi's dark eyes through the screen of the tablet. The man had been scrutinising him a lot ever since they had met as if he was trying to find a lousy trait that he could point out. Seonghwa kept wondering if the tall beta saw him as a threat. Because he sure liked cuddling up to San and Yeosang.

"That's young... Will you be fine?" A more gentle, more worried squeeze. Seonghwa chuckled as he put his gloved hand over Hongjoong's and tenderly returned the gesture. He appreciated the man's worry.

"Yes. It's far in the past, I barely remember it. I'd rather have it be me to dig this up than my dad, who was hurting so deeply because of her."

Hongjoong nodded thoughtfully, his expression sombre. For a second, he didn't even seem to breathe, but then another smile brightened his features akin to a sunrise.

"Let's meet my parents then somewhen! I'm sure they would love you, and you'll get to taste the best home-made cookies in France!"

"I can agree to that!" Wooyoung squeakily yelled over the screen because, of course, they were listening in, what else.

Seonghwa chuckled at the way San immediately bombarded Wooyoung with questions as if it was the most exciting topic he had ever heard of and totally not to win the man over. Hongjoong giggled at them, too, while Yunho just grinned softly at it all.

"Sure, let's do that. I just gotta refresh my French before we go."

At those words, Hongjoong was basically all up Seonghwa's lap like a purring cat. The only thing holding him back was his seat belt, or else he might have actually climbed over.

"You can speak French?" He coquettishly batted his lashes at Seonghwa until the man started laughing. Without caring about the team, he pressed a quick kiss to Hongjoong's inviting forehead. He liked how the man tried to pout to hide his smile when he did that.

"Yes, I do. And I take this as you being so very willing to be my teacher."

"I totally am."

They giggled stupidly at each other while Jongho steered the chopper further downwards. He wouldn't be able to land, but he could at least drop them off over the spot so that they could search in peace. As it seemed, they would also have their isolation from any unwanted guests so far up.

"Here we are. You idiot lovebirds go first, I won't let the precious one slip and fall," Jongho called at them just a tad louder than necessary and successfully brought them back to the present. When Hongjoong moved back, he could see the two boys in front exchange a manly fist-bump and a nod. They had literally bonded based on their names only.

As Hongjoong moved to unclasp their seatbelts and subtly feel up Seonghwa at the same time, Seonghwa caught Yunho also throwing in an innocent wink. It still made Jongho malfunction for a minute before he smiled shyly with squishy cheeks and his gums showing. God, they would make such a perfect pack.

Seonghwa went down the ladder first, the cold immediately biting into his skin. The air was remarkably thinner up here, too, but they wouldn't stay for too long. At least they needed no circus stunts here.

Seonghwa dropped safely and without any problems onto the snowy ground, immediately sinking in up until his knees. What fun.

Without hesitating, he stomped over to the wreckage that was still showing to some parts because the snow kept sliding down from the metal and into a canyon below. Luckily, it was easy to find, but the luggage had probably not stayed where it was supposed to be and flown off with the explosion.

Indeed, the compartments were all empty, and nothing more than some loose frozen seats laid inside.

"Alright, set up the heater!" He called over to Yunho and Hongjoong, who had just dropped down. Both nodded as Jongho threw them the boxes they needed. It was far too much snow to search through, so they had decided to go for the machine instead. Seonghwa put his headset in so that Yunho could store the tablet away. He would regret the noise later.

He went over to help with everything, partly to distract himself from his racing heart, and also because the task seemed a little hard in the snow. It didn't take them too long. Twenty minutes later, the massive fan was blasting away powerfully at the snow. They busied themselves with searching the other large objects hidden in the sheet of white, and from time to time, went back to the heater to refill on some warmth.

It took them about two hours, ultimately, and it was Yunho who found it. He had examined one of the smaller pieces in the melted snow and indeed found the greenish velvet case that was thankfully still sealed. His voice had been cheerful when he had called out to Seonghwa.

"I got it! Everybody, I found it!"

Hongjoong and Seonghwa had dropped their work immediately to hurry over to him as fast as the glinting and reflecting snow allowed. Yunho had proudly presented them the missing piece of their artefact and received an immediate head patting session from Seonghwa. With Yunho tucked into his side like some overgrown puppy, Seonghwa had wordlessly stared down at the thing that had once been a brooch his mom had worn every day. It had been a gift from his dad. And it had fitted her green eyes so well.

Seonghwa was staring at it for a very long time, losing himself in thought. He could barely remember her eyes now.

It was San, who quietly piped up through the otherwise silent earpiece.

"Seonghwa? You okay?" His voice was gentle and understanding, none of the usual bickering carrying with it. It snapped Seonghwa right out of his thoughts. Determinedly, he clutched the piece in his fist, hiding it from his sight. The heater and Yunho were still warming him up, yet his insides seemed to be incredibly cold.

"Of course." Seonghwa threw his hair back before stepping away. Yunho ran right back to help Hongjoong with the heater. Seonghwa noticed the silent gazes the redhair sent him, but he chose to ignore them for now.

"Just checking. It's usually someone else's past you're digging into."

"That's where you're wrong, San - this has always been what it's about. This is what made father grow sick and die in the end. It was all about her. And now, we will finally know what heritage he was trying to supply to us."

With that, the topic was closed. San hushed the others so they wouldn't be too loud in Seonghwa's sensitive ears right now. They left him to sluggishly work while lost in thought without complaining.

Nobody dared to approach him again until they were back in the helicopter, but Yunho made sure to pry the stone from Seonghwa's fingers gently. He safely put it in a box before something would damage it. When they all had huddled in their seats again, Jongho took right back off towards home.

Seonghwa felt incredibly tired from the whole ordeal. Digging up his own past and seeing these mountains he had nearly died twice in had indeed woken up the trauma, just as Hongjoong had predicted. Instead of bothering the others with it, though, Seonghwa just cuddled up against Hongjoong and allowed himself to fall asleep. Hongjoong wordlessly began gently stroking Seonghwa's leg again until he drifted off.

-

Seonghwa had a headache from their long flight. As soon as they had returned from their trip, he flopped down onto an empty couch while the omegas immediately jumped to help Yunho and Jongho put their stuff away.

Yongguk was on their couch again in front of their homey fireplace and playing chess with Mingi, who seemed very invested in the game.

Seonghwa threw an arm over his eyes, feeling overheated in the jacket he hadn't bothered to take off.

"So what's next? Where is the lock to this key?"

Yongguk eliminated one of Mingi's figures and got a mocking chuckle from his tall opponent. Seonghwa felt himself grin, too. There was no way to beat this man at chess, no matter how often Mingi would try.

"Bolivia. You were both standing on it. I'll accompany you there next time after I glued the thing back together. Is your 3D-Printer set up, San?" Yongguk's calm and deep voice was definitely the most soothing one inside this house right now.

"Ready for you to go, chef."

"Did you put away all the dildos you abused the poor thing to make?" Mingi casually called over his shoulder. Hongjoong somewhere choked on his spit while Seonghwa let out a breathy laugh.

"Yes, I did! Don't ask me if you ever need to have one done, pah!" San was not even mad, his laughter betraying his anger. Wooyoung giggled in the distance, too.

Seonghwa accepted the pill and the glass with water that Yeosang handed him with a thankful hum. While he sat up just as much as needed to gulp it down, Yeosang made quick work of his jacket, putting it away finally.

"Go to bed. You need some rest."

"I won't make it up the stairs. Back hurts."

Yeosang looked around the room for a fitting victim and soon found it in Hongjoong, who looked no less beaten than Seonghwa did. Not even minutes later, Seonghwa was floating up the stairs in the man's arms and probably fell asleep before his head hit his pillows.


	25. Treasure

"So do I tell them Bonjour or Bonsoir?" Seonghwa arched his brow at the notes Hongjoong had scribbled down for him. They were all over the page with no apparent order or connection to each other.

"Depends on the time you meet them. It's similar to Good Day and Good Evening. I dare say Bonsoir fits you better, though. If you appeared in a suit on my mom's doorstep and tell her that, there is a ninety-nine percent chance for her to fall for you immediately," Hongjoong giggled as he drew a little sun next to the word Bonjour and a matching moon to Bonsoir.

"I forgot how bad I am at speaking this... I read it far better. I've got the whole Bonsoir je m'appelle Seonghwa, je vient d'Angleterre thing down, but-"

"Wait, wait, write it down." Hongjoong handed him the pen back, and Seonghwa searched for a free corner to write it in. Saying who he was and where he was from sure wasn't a whole conversation, so maybe having Hongjoong around could actually help him getting back into the whole French thing again. While Yeosang had taught him the basics a few years ago, Seonghwa still rather just took the man with him instead of going through the trouble of learning even more languages.

When he finished, he pushed the book back over to Hongjoong, who checked his spelling quickly. With a knowing hum, he circled the verb.

"There, thought so. This is an s. Viens d'Angleterre. You're not Cesar, now, are you?"

"If your parents ask me to write every word down so they can check the letters they don't even hear, I'm stealing the cookies and running. You can explain then." Seonghwa dropped his head against the backrest of his seat, sulking. He did say it right.

"D'accord, mon ange. Nous avons encore beaucoup de temps pour apprendre," Hongjoong sweetly assured him and put the book away to peek over at what Yongguk was doing on his right. He had been scribbling away at something ever since a few hours ago and not partaken in the mess of their French lesson that they had shortened their time with.

"We're nearing our destination. Time to switch back to Spanish, I guess." Jongho moved to steer the chopper down into the Tiwanaku ruins that Seonghwa had explored last time, too. His movements were quick and precise, and Yunho ooh-ed and ahh-ed quietly whenever the man did something. He was easy to impress.

Yongguk put his book away in the end, too, and readied himself for their adventure. Not that it would be that grand again, though. If everything went well, they would open the thing, get the treasure, hand it to Yongguk, and go straight back home. And then Seonghwa and Hongjoong would be able to sort through their countless unspoken questions.

Jongho put them down gently on the extensive plateau that Seonghwa had first met Hongjoong on during this big mission. The location pulled up the memories of them being rivals again, but by now, Seonghwa could only chuckle about it.

Why had they taken so long with talking in out? In retrospect, it seemed like such a childish and petty fight.

"You didn't lie, old man. When you told me this was the best way to get to Hwa, you were absolutely right," Hongjoong laughed as he jumped out of the chopper in his short catsuit. Seonghwa started to wonder if the man even owned clothes other than crop tops and catsuits.

Not that he minded. But what Hongjoong had said made him prick his ears.

"You told him you sent me here? You two _knew_ each other?"

Yongguk glanced at Hongjoong and his angelic smile before shrugging nonchalantly.

"Of course, I'm not just your dealer, you know? You're welcome, Hongie."

"Hongie? _Hongie_?! You set me up!" Seonghwa was flabbergasted. It was not that he felt hurt, just incredibly betrayed. Yongguk had always known of Seonghwa having Hongjoong as this one stubborn rival, and yet he had allowed them to get so close.

"I've spent my working days listening to you ranting about him, and the weekend was full of Hongjoong frustration about not being able to get through to you. So yeah, I decided it was time to stop." Yongguk pulled the amulet out of his pocket and knelt down next to a spot in the ground to carefully brush the dirt away from there.

"And look at you now, everything worked out just fine, didn't it? I just helped here and there. And before you ask, it was San. He supplied me and later Hongjoong, too, with the information where you were and what to do." He smirked cheekily before inserting the amulet. It slid into the opening smoothly, pulling an appreciative hum out of the man. 

Yongguk proceeded to ignore Seonghwa completely, and San also chose wisely to duck his head when Seonghwa growled his name. 

In the end, it was Hongjoong, who had to step up. He was quite daring, approaching a fuming Seonghwa as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Seonghwa flinched when the other man's arm suddenly wrapped around his middle, and a tiny hand squeezed his hip.

"Don't be mad, mon ange. You like it when I call you this, hm? It's alright. He didn't do it to harm."

"He told you where I was! This is an important bit of my past, how could I-"

Hongjoong shut him up with a kiss.

It was sudden, his body slipping around Seonghwa as if it was made of liquid. Seonghwa was by far not fast enough to react when Hongjoong had already grabbed his collar and pulled him down to press their lips together.

He didn't go all dirty, just gently moving his lips against Seonghwa's until the man petulantly reciprocated the gesture. Hongjoong did taste of strawberries, after all.

Sulking, Seonghwa wrapped his arms around his lover and used his weapon holster to press them together as he dipped down, so Hongjoong didn't have to strain too much. The man warmly arched into Seonghwa, his body disappearing underneath Seonghwa's.

At seeing how easy he had tamed Seonghwa, Hongjoong dared to smirk against Seonghwa's lips. Seonghwa bit him, careful not to draw blood. He didn't want to hurt him, after all. Hongjoong pulled back after that, still quite smug.

"Don't pretend as if it was bad. Let's talk it out at home in the sheets," he murmured with another fleeting peck to Seonghwa's lower lip, before he stepped back.

"We came to get a treasure, not to fight."

He was right, after all.

Begrudgingly, Seonghwa turned back to Yongguk and Yunho, who had lifted a large flagstone out of the ground by now. It was full of wet earth and worms and spiders, but neither cared. They just dropped it on the side and reached inside to get the chest down there out. 

With matching groans, they pulled it up and heaved it on the ground.

Another emblem, again, the key. 

This time, Yongguk offered the amulet to Seonghwa.

"Here. It is what your family searched forever for." His eyes were gentle as he let the piece slip from his slender fingers and moved over, so Seonghwa could crouch down. After another nod towards Yunho, he carefully inserted the amulet and turned it.

For a second, everything was deathly silent. Nobody dared to breathe as Seonghwa slowly lifted the lid, and even the noise of the waterfalls seemed to have disappeared in a far distance.

Inside, there was an old piece of purple velvet cloth. It was still mostly intact, but Seonghwa was still mightily careful as he pushed it back with shaking fingertips.

At what they saw, Yongguk sucked in a harsh breath.

It was not too hard to guess, all of the hints having led right here.

It was a crown — the crown of a long-dead and mythical king.

"Is this-" Yunho gaped at the piece, too, but nobody touched it, still. After a few breathless minutes, Seonghwa carefully closed the lid again. With broad and exhilarated eyes, he turned towards Yongguk.

"How much is it worth?" He whispered soundlessly, and for once, even Yongguk seemed overtasked with the math.

"Millions- Hundred millions, maybe even billions, depending on the interest. God, the Royal Family, will love this. You might get promoted, Hwa." His whisper was throaty. 

Hongjoong gave a tiny chuckle on their side.

"So this is it, indeed. King Arthur. Whose sister hid the crown where only the knight and their heirs would find it again to crown another king." Deeply impressed, he dropped down on his behind as if the weight of their catch had doubled gravity.

"What are we going to do?"

"For years, this was what kept my father going. For himself, and mom. I pitied him for thinking that way, but now- Now it all falls together. He is a descendant of one of those knights; he didn't find this piece; it had always belonged to our family.... Yeosang, go to the British Museum immediately. Ring me when you get there. Dress in layers - you'll be there for a while."

Rustling was heard as Yeosang hurried to get up and ready.

"Right. I'm off."

"San, call Professor Eddington at Cambridge. Arrange a meeting." Seonghwa stood, while Jongho scrambled to secure the chest and its precious contents carefully. Hongjoong rose together with them.

"Will do. What should I tell him?"

"Tell him... Tell him my father was right about everything, and that I want his name written in their records not as a lazy and poor madman, but an archaeological genius."

"Sounds good." With that, San tapped out, too. 

A comfortable silence settled in Seonghwa's ears, and for a moment, he just breathed the fresh air. It had all been worth it. The feud with Hongjoong had brought him to this moment. His father never giving up, his pack's loyalty and Yongguk's endless help had all played into this.

Seonghwa could feel tears of pride and happiness prick in his eyes. A big smile sneaked on his lips, that was immediately copied by four other just as beautiful smiles all around him.

"Do you wanna come to visit the Queen?" Yongguk brotherly nudged Seonghwa with his elbow, making the man laugh.

"Not yet. I first have other matters to attend." With those words, he turned to Hongjoong. The redhair immediately blinked with big eyes, worried that he might have made a mistake. He softened just as fast, though, when Seonghwa gently clasped his small hands in his.

"Hongjoong... I know this is moving fast, and maybe you totally don't want this at all, but I want to try still. It's fine if you tell me no, I won't be hurt!"

Hongjoong curiously cocked his head at him, his eyes filled with worry, but his lips still smiling.

Seonghwa felt himself grow warm. Maybe there was a possibility.

"Would you like to join packs?" He wanted to speak more, wanted to tell the man he had time to think about it, and that it was no trouble if he said no. However, he fell completely quiet when he met Hongjoong's eyes. They were shining full of affection.

When Hongjoong gave a bright smile, Seonghwa gasped, finding the man's expression stunning.

"Sure, Hwa. Any day."

He said yes. He had actually said yes.

"I- I still gotta ask my pack first, though! So not yet! They may say no..."

Yunho gave an amused snort from where he was watching the spectacle very satisfied from the sidelines. His eyes were crinkling happily around his smile when they looked at each other.

"Just because you idiot haven't asked us yet, it doesn't mean that we haven't discussed it. San bet you needed another kick from Hongjoong ever to get that far. Guess he owes me twenty."

Of course, those little plotting imps were always one step further than Seonghwa. With a good-natured eye-roll, Seonghwa turned back towards Hongjoong, who was still waiting patiently.

"Let's talk it through again at home, all together."

Hongjoong nodded joyfully, Jongho rolled his eyes where he was still sitting on the ground.

"Jup, let's do that, I'm hungry. And Yongguk still has to annoy a whole royal family." With a jump, he was on his feet, stretching his arms out.

"That's true, I do." Yongguk nodded, too. 

Blushing, Seonghwa let himself be led back to the chopper by Hongjoong. Their hands were interwoven with each other, just like the bonds that were blossoming between them.


	26. Pack Bonds

All eight of them were sitting together in the living room and watching the news outlet about King Arthur's crown having been found. They had piled on the couches comfortably to observe the TV above the entrance with rapt attention.

Yongguk hadn't appeared on screen, of course not, he never did. However, the Royal Family had openly expressed their gratitude and announced to meet Seonghwa soon. He had received a formal invitation to Buckingham Palace via mail, the letter actually being sealed with a fancy wax sigil. He had felt so proud when he had gotten the thing, and Yongguk had just laughed when Seonghwa had called him to yell about it excitedly.

The crown would soon find a place in the National Museum where people could see it, but until then, there were still some formalities to sort. And during these following weeks, the news would go crazy with covering the new hot topic.

There had been reporters swarming Seonghwa's home the whole day, too, forcing them to stick to being inside. Seonghwa once again regretted not having installed flamethrowers outside. If he wanted any peace and quiet ever in his life, it seemed to be the only option.

After the program switched over to another topic, San turned the volume down and leaned back smugly. He was very much satisfied with how the whole situation had played out and what his paycheck would look like. There was nothing to complain about here.

Hongjoong dropped his head back on Seonghwa's shoulder, too. A little sigh escaped him as he continued to play with the other man's long fingers in his. He had been sitting on Seonghwa's lap all this time as it seemed to have become his favourite places to be in these days. Seonghwa nuzzled the man's neck.

"Seems like you did really well there. This was a far larger scale than I had expected," Yeosang hummed amazedly. He still had his notes and his phone right in front of his seat on the table so he could react anytime if somebody tried to reach them again. Multiple interviews and invitations to radio shows had been extended to Seonghwa, and Yeosang was the one who took such calls and updated Seonghwa's schedule.

He and Yeosang would spend much time running to said events soon while San would get a few days off to play. He would probably visit his mom if he weren't too stuck with Wooyoung. Seonghwa suspected that the man would also take Wooyoung to visit his mom any day.

"I'm glad to have done it. Not for the scale and money, but also because of everything that it had to do with my family, too. It seems like today feels like a day I can sit back proudly and hope that it finally turned out how they imagined it. Out of all things my father researched, I was always interested the least in this one. But here we are, and it was all worth it."

Yunho nodded, satisfied, from his place. His family, too, had had a long history of being butlers for the Park family. His granddad and dad sometimes still preached about the importance of Seonghwa's father's studies, so of course, seeing him end this mess had been satisfying for all of them.

Plus, he had gotten a charming lover out of it.

When Seonghwa blushingly hid his face in Hongjoong's shoulder at the though, Jongho finally addressed their most pressing topic these days again.

"So about the whole joining packs... Everybody is here now for once, and I wanted to bring it up again before you drown yourself in work, Seonghwa."

Cautious, Seonghwa peeked over Hongjoong's shoulder. They all were looking at him, waiting for further instruction. Well, it had been his idea, after all.

He straightened a bit and shifted Hongjoong to sit more comfortably on his lap. He, too, was watching Seonghwa with that patient affection. He seemed just to wait for Seonghwa to ask him to get the stars from the sky so he could run and pick them. He looked so deeply in love that Seonghwa felt his heart warm every time he looked in those eyes.

"Right... Did you only talk within your respective packs about the topic, or maybe also with members of the other pack?"

Wooyoung and San gave each other matching smirks. Those two again.

"Fine as you all seemed to have discussed it in some way before... Do you have anything to point out? Please remember that everybody here has a veto. I even one person says they don't want to join packs, the whole thing will be called off."

Warmly, he looked around to just as calm and collected faces. Nobody seemed to have anything to add in any way, so they had unanimously agreed already. Now, they just seemed to wait for Seonghwa to speak the words of consent patiently.

"Alright, then. So you wanna... do it now? You're right, it's a good time, actually." Seonghwa nodded at Jongho, who replied with a proud smirk. He flicked his hair back smugly to boast a little. The pack members giggled at their adorable youngest.

Now, too, they agreed, getting more comfortable while Yunho ran to fetch the medical kit. He would insist on treating any wounds with the correct pharmaceutical procedures, and after many years in his care, Seonghwa had grown too tired to resist him.

"Which one of you is going to be pack alpha? I dare say Seonghwa would be the better option since San won't struggle to get used to another pack alpha then," Yeosang added sharply, and San nodded slowly. He looked as if he didn't want to spoil any of their wishes with his own, but Seonghwa would always put his needs before his own.

"It's better that way, anyway. I will continue to hide my scent in public, and if I get associated with your pack, it's easier to hide if I'm not pack alpha at the same time. So you do that, mon ange."

Seonghwa cuddled Hongjoong as if he was his favourite plushie, enjoying his little giggles at the treatment.

When Yunho came back with water and the kit, they could start. Seonghwa reluctantly let go of Hongjoong to step up in front of the couch.

"Alright, boys, I expect you to be of your best behaviour. Is anybody here sensitive to pain or blood? Please be open to each other about what you need and don't hurt each other. Darling, where do you want to be bitten?"

At the question, Hongjoong pulled the crop top that kept slipping down scandalously over one of his shoulders a little further so Seonghwa could see the three bites of his pack mates strewn over the back of his left shoulder. They looked pretty, just some faint scars that alerted everybody of their bonds and that connected their lives with each other.

Seonghwa carefully balanced his body with one knee on the couch as he smoothed his hand over the man's muscular flesh. It was so close to his nape, so close to where Seonghwa wanted to claim the man as his and his only. Not as his pack member, but his mate, his one and only. But it was far too early for that. They were not anywhere near bonding on marriage level yet.

Seonghwa found a soft spot on the man's shoulder that he quite liked and gently grabbed onto Hongjoon's hand to calm him down.

"Alright, you ready?"

Hongjoong just nodded calmly and stayed relaxed as Seonghwa leaned in.

Seonghwa carefully bit down without breaking skin at first, getting a feel for it until he deliberately used more force. Attentive to not let his jaws snap too brutally, he only bit until he reached the first taste of blood and then licked over the wound to collect most of it. Hongjoong stayed as patient as an angel even as his scent spiked at having Seonghwa so close.

When he pulled back, Yunho was right there to spray Hongjoong's wound with disinfecting medicine. Meanwhile, Hongjoong turned around and carefully reached for Seonghwa's leg, the one that was not tattoed.

Seonghwa wore his bite marks on his thigh, having decided that there was more than enough space for them, and they looked pretty where he could see and trace them. For the first time in his life, he regretted that decision when Hongjoong ducked down to choose a spot he fancied.

Of course, he was daring. San had been daring already, choosing a spot high up on Seonghwa's thigh that was dangerously close to his crotch. But Hongjoong felt challenged by that. Thus, he soon pressed his pointy nose in the junction of Seonghwa's inner thigh to his groin. He smirked at the way Seonghwa trembled as he also pushed the fabric of his shorts further up to dig in.

His bite had Seonghwa's hand flying to his hair, gently grabbing at red locks, but never pulling. He just waited and fought the need to snap his thighs shut around the pain in such a sensitive place.

Hongjoong made up for it by sucking a little mark next to the bite.

While he pulled back with a cheeky grin and Yunho hurried over again to help, Seonghwa couldn't help but smile breathlessly at him, too. He could notice his scent shifting and mingling, fitting more towards the pack. Seonghwa felt the typical calmness of having a family member close by wash over him.

Hongjoong left a little peck on Seonghwa's lips before he skipped off to get bitten and bite the rest. Seonghwa hurried to move after him, too, but before he even came to his feet, Mingi was already by his side. He silently eyed the open injury on Seonghwa's tanned thigh before nodding to himself. Only then, he dipped down to leave his bite close where Yeosang's and Yunho's were, at a reasonable place on Seonghwa's leg.

Seonghwa didn't dare grab his hair, so he just went for the man's broad shoulder instead and settled his hand there in case he needed to push him off. Of course, Mingi was gentle with him, though. He just bit him and then pulled right back, offering his upper arm to Seonghwa.

The alpha complied with a nod and bit him back while his eyes strayed over the forming pack. Yeosang was a whiny mess where he was nearly forcefully pinned underneath Jongho because he kept trashing out when somebody bit at his collarbones. San was next to him, gently petting his hair and distracting himself from Hongjoong, who was right behind him and biting at his shoulder.

Wooyoung was wrapped around Yunho at the moment, carefully biting away on the man's biceps while his own thighs were already dotted with two new bites.

They all went well together, and Seonghwa was once again glad.

He hadn't expected to find all of this just because of Yongguk. In the beginning, it had only been a standard treasure hunt that had escalated into a puzzle hunt. And then a robbery, falling in love and finding a whole new pack to join his and call his home.

With a smile, Seonghwa let go of Mingi and gently patted his hip before he wandered off. This time, he took up the disinfection spray that Yunho had discarded on the table when he had been attacked by Hongjoong's pack members.

He now had four people more to look after and go on adventures with. The least he could do for them was to make sure they wouldn't die of their pack bites right on the first day of them joining together.

Not as if he would come far for he barely took care of San when Wooyoung already spotted him, and threw him down on the nearest couch with excited eyes. He was over Seonghwa within seconds; his peachy smell radiating off him with happiness.

But Seonghwa could only laugh it off. Their new members were all adorable, and he already loved them with all of his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeeeeeend.
> 
> Alright, not fully end because I do be plannin' another one shot to add to this. I can't say much about when it will be out since I'm very busy these days buuut it will be about Seongjoong going to France to visit his parents, as he had promised and them actually mating ^^ So stay tuned for that, I will inform you here when it's finished!
> 
> Ahh, thanks everybody, for enjoying this with me! This was a nice break from my Overshadow series, which I will now return to with Prince of Ink. I hope you all had a good time and might see me again at other stories, I would be delighted!
> 
> So thanks for reading, voting, and commenting on this! Thanks to anybody who wanted to hit Seonghwa with me! :D
> 
> Thank you and see you later!


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